Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify experiences of immigrant women from Philippines in child-rearing.
Methods
The study design was a qualitative research. Participants were 15 Filipino immigrant women living in rural Korea. Average age was 37 and average duration of marriage was 11 years. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and participants were interviewed once or twice between December 2009 and February 2010. Data were analyzed with Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenological methodology.
Results
The Four themes-clusters were identified from fourteen themes. The theme-clusters (themes) were 1) Responsibility of a mother as a foreigner (being a role-model, patience, strict upbringing); 2) Practical problems of child-rearing (parenting alone, language difficulties, financial difficulties, lack of husbands' support, cultural obstacles; 3) Worries about their children (children's emotional problems, speech disorders, maladjustment at school); 4) Hopes for the future (self-satisfaction, expectations for their children, social support).
Conclusion
The results help in understanding the situation of immigrant women from the Philippines when they nurture their children and suggest the necessity of programs focusing on improving mother-child relationships, especially as related to mothers' limited language skills. Further comprehensive education programs to improve better father-child relationships in relating to each other should be developed.
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