Koreans accept women who immigrate through marriage as neighbors, friends and fellow Koreans, but are still reluctant to accept them as their own spouse or their child's spouse — and contact with foreigners improves attitudes.
Korean People's Understanding on Female Marriage-based Immigrants in Korea
한국 여성결혼이민자에 대한 한국인의 인식
QUESTION
How aware and accepting are Koreans of female marriage immigrants, and how do contact with foreigners, Korea's own cultural emotions (we-ness (uriseong, 우리성), being on our side (uripyeon, 우리편), simjeong (심정), jeong (정)) and social identity shape attitudes toward them?
FINDINGS
Koreans were highly accepting of marriage immigrant women's cultures and held few negative images of them, but did not yet accept them as their own spouse or their child's spouse.
아직까지 내 배우자와 내 자녀의 배우자로는 수용하지 못하고 있었다…still could not accept them as my spouse or my child's spouse.p1한국인은여성결혼이민자의문화에대한수용이높고, 여성결혼이민자에대한부정적이미지가낮았다Koreans showed high acceptance of the culture of female marriage migrants and a low negative image of them.p1The preferred countries of origin were Japan and ethnic Koreans from China (Joseonjok, 조선족); the avoided ones were China, Cambodia and Vietnam.
한국인이 선호하는 여성결혼이민자의 국적은 일본과 조선족이었고, 기피하는 국적은 중국, 캄보디아, 베트남이었다The nationalities of female marriage immigrants that Koreans preferred were Japan and Joseonjok (ethnic Koreans from China), and those they avoided were China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.p1Contact with foreigners, in any form, had a positive effect on behavior, thoughts and feelings toward marriage immigrant women.
외국인과의 접촉은 어떤 식으로도 한국인의 여성결혼이민자에 대한 행동, 인지, 정서에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다Contact with foreigners in any form had a positive influence on Koreans' behavior, cognition, and emotion toward female marriage immigrants.p1The more strongly people felt we-ness, being on the same side, jeong and simjeong, the more they accepted these women as Korean at heart — yet they did not fully internalize them as Korean.
그들을 심정적으로 한국인으로 받아들이고는 있었지만, 한국인으로 내재화시키지는 못했다…were accepting them as Korean at heart (simjeong), but did not internalize them as Korean.p1한국인은여성결혼이민자에대해우리성, 우리편및정…the more strongly Koreans felt uri-ness, uri-pyeon, and jeong toward female marriage migrants…p1IN DAILY LIFE
The 'getting rural bachelors married' campaign, started by local governments after Korea–China diplomatic ties in 1990, set off the change toward a multicultural society.
지자체에서 시작한 ‘농촌총각 장가보내기 운동’은 우리 사회에 새로운 변화를 일으켰고The 'Marry Off Rural Bachelors Campaign' started by local governments brought new change to our society…p2이로인해우리나라는다문화사회에진입해있다…and as a result our country has entered a multicultural society.p2Koreans pour jeong and devotion into those they see as 'us,' opening their hearts and acting without formality, but are unfriendly and wary toward 'others who are not us.'
‘우리가 아닌 남’으로 인식되는 사람에 대해서는 불친절하고 경계하며 적대적이다Toward people perceived as 'others who are not us,' they are unkind, wary, and hostile.p5한국인들은‘우리’로인식되는사람들에게정(情)과정성을쏟고, 자신의속마음을드러내며허물없이행동하지만Koreans pour jeong and devotion into those seen as ‘us,’ reveal their inner feelings, and act without reserve, but…p5In depth
This paper, more closely — every sentence carries an original quote and page number.
Background
The government has built many policies to help marriage immigrant women settle, but whether Koreans accept them as members of society is a separate question, the author argues.
한국인들이 이들을 우리 사회의 한 구성원으로 인식하고 받아들이는가는 또 다른 중요한 문제이다Whether Koreans recognize and accept them as members of our society is another important question.p2여성결혼이민자들의조기정착을돕기위해다양한정책들을마련해왔으며…[the government] has prepared various policies to help female marriage migrants settle early…p2For Koreans, 'we' is an in-group tied by blood, hometown and school, so accepting marriage immigrant women as 'us' and breaking down that boundary is difficult.
한국인에게 우리는 혈연, 지연, 학연 등과 같은 연고적인 내집단 사회이다For Koreans, 'we' is a connection-based in-group society, such as ties of blood, region, and school.p5동아시아이주여성들을우리로받아들이고, 집단속에서그경계를허무는데는어려움이따르기마련이다…accepting East Asian migrant women as ‘us’ and breaking down that boundary within the group inevitably involves difficulty.p5Method
A national representative survey, analyzed with cross-tabulation, correlation and multiple regression.
지역별X연령별X성별로 다단계층화표본표집된 언어적 보고가 가능한 10대 이상의 남녀 1,710명이다…1,710 men and women aged teens and older capable of verbal report, sampled by multistage stratification by region × age × gender.p7교차분석, 상관분석및중다회귀분석을실시하였다…cross-tabulation, correlation analysis, and multiple regression were conducted.p10본연구의대상은제주도를제외한전국대도시를중심으로The participants of this study, centered on major cities nationwide excluding Jeju…p7다문화가족에대한기대는황정미등(2007)이Expectations of multicultural families [used the items of] Hwang et al. (2007)…p9여성결혼이민자에대한부정적이미지를묻는4문항으로써…4 items asking about negative images of female marriage migrants…p10행동은Borgadus(1925)의사회적거리감척도7문항을사용하였다Behavior used Bogardus's (1925) 7-item social distance scale.p9소수집단에대한고정관념문항으로써…items on stereotypes about minority groups…p9긍정정서3문항, 부정정서3문항, 연민정서3문항을사용하였다3 positive-emotion, 3 negative-emotion, and 3 pity-emotion items were used.p9외국방문경험, 외국인이웃, 외국인친구유무및호오하는여성결혼이민자의출신국과호오이유…foreign travel experience, having foreign neighbors or friends, and the preferred/avoided countries of origin of female marriage migrants and the reasons…p10우리성, 우리편, 심정, 정, 사회정체감을독립변인으로…with uri-ness, uri-pyeon, simjeong, jeong, and social identity as independent variables…p13Detailed findings
90.7% said they could accept a marriage immigrant woman as a neighbor, but only 51.2% said they could marry one and 45.0% that they could let their child marry one.
결혼할 수 있다 876명(51.2%) 831명(48.6%) • 내 자녀와 결혼시킬 수 있다 770명(45.0%)Could marry: 876 (51.2%) / 831 (48.6%) • Could have my child marry: 770 (45.0%)p11이웃주민으로받아들일수있다 1,551명(90.7%)Can accept as a neighbor: 1,551 (90.7%)p11The preferred countries of origin were Japan (29.5%), Joseonjok (26.1%) and Vietnam (7.9%), in that order.
한국인이 선호하는 여성결혼이민자의 출신국은 일본(29.5%), 조선족(26.1%), 베트남(7.9%)The countries of origin of female marriage immigrants preferred by Koreans were Japan (29.5%), Joseonjok (26.1%), Vietnam (7.9%)…p11Reasons for preference included shared ethnicity, economic power, cultural exchange, similar appearance and social adaptation.
한민족(14.2%), 경제강국(13.4%), 문화교류(12.4%), 유사외모(10.6%) 및 사회적응(10.1%) 등을 꼽았다…cited same ethnicity (14.2%), economic power (13.4%), cultural exchange (12.4%), similar appearance (10.6%), and social adaptation (10.1%).p12Reasons for aversion included sham marriage, 'brides sold for money,' underdeveloped country, and failure to adapt socially.
혐오하는 이유는 위장결혼(13.6%), 돈에 팔려온 신부(11.7%), 후진국(7.5%), 사회부적응(8.2%)Reasons for aversion were sham marriage (13.6%), brides sold for money (11.7%), underdeveloped country (7.5%), social maladjustment (8.2%)…p12The younger the respondents, the stronger their aversion; teenagers tended to be negative toward most marriage immigrant women.
연령이 낮을수록 여성결혼이민자에 대한 혐오도는 높았는데, 10대의 경우 대부분의 여성결혼이민자에 대해 부정적인 경향을 보였다The younger the age, the higher the aversion toward female marriage immigrants; teenagers tended to be negative toward most of them.p21Foreign travel, foreign neighbors and foreign friends all reduced social distance; foreign friends brought more positive thoughts, and foreign travel and foreign friends more positive feelings.
외국방문, 외국인이웃 및 외국친구는 사회적 거리감을 좁혔고Foreign travel, foreign neighbors, and foreign friends narrowed social distance…p22외국인친구는긍정적인인지를가져왔으며, 외국방문과외국인친구는긍정적인정서를초래했다…foreign friends brought positive cognition, and foreign travel and foreign friends brought positive emotion.p22Within we-ness, stronger instrumental we-ness meant less social distance, but stronger emotional we-ness meant more.
도구적 우리성이 강할수록 여성결혼이민자에 대한 사회적 거리감은 좁았고, 정서적 우리성이 강할수록 여성결혼이민자에 대한 사회적 거리감이 컸다The stronger the instrumental we-ness, the narrower the social distance toward female marriage immigrants; the stronger the emotional we-ness, the greater the social distance.p22People whose Korean identity leaned toward 'assimilation' and 'internalization' felt more distance, while those leaning toward 'integration' and 'fusion' felt less.
통합과 융합의 사회정체감을 형성한 한국인일수록 여성결혼이민자에 대한 사회적 거리감을 덜 느끼는 것으로 나타났다Koreans who had formed an integration and fusion social identity felt less social distance toward female marriage immigrants.p22한국인으로서의사회정체감을동화와내재화할수록여성결혼이민자에대한사회적거리감을크게느낀…the more their social identity as Koreans was of assimilation and internalization, the greater the social distance they felt toward female marriage migrants…p22Authors’ interpretation
Jeong and simjeong grow stronger when one feels we-ness within 'our side' rather than toward outsiders, so the more Koreans see these women as 'us,' the more they accept them as Korean at heart and feel jeong toward them.
정과 심정은 우리가 아닌 남보다는 우리편 안에서 우리성을 느낄 때 강해진다Jeong and simjeong grow stronger when one feels we-ness within our side rather than toward others who are not us.p23한국인이여성결혼이민자를우리로받아들이고, 우리편이라는생각이강할수록, 심정적으로그들을한국인으로받아들이면서정을느낀다…the more Koreans accept female marriage migrants as ‘us’ and think of them as on their side, the more they emotionally accept them as Korean and feel jeong.p23Southeast Asian immigrant women, with a short migration history and no community base, may absorb mainstream society's demeaning views and develop a negative self-concept.
한국 주류사회의 비하적인 사회인식을 수용하여 부정적 자기개념을 가질 수 있다…may accept the demeaning social perceptions of Korean mainstream society and come to hold a negative self-concept.p23한국에거주하고있는동남아이주여성들의경우는In the case of Southeast Asian migrant women living in Korea…p23아직까지이주의역사가짧고커뮤니티를형성할만큼의사회적기반을구축하고있지않기때문에…because their migration history is still short and they have not built a social base sufficient to form a community…p23Although some earlier studies report that contact is not always positive, these results support the view that unfamiliarity from lack of contact can underlie prejudice.
접촉이 여성결혼이민자에 대한 태도에 긍정적인 영향을 미친다는 김혜숙 등(2011)의 연구를 지지한다…supports the study by Kim Hye-sook et al. (2011) finding that contact positively affects attitudes toward female marriage immigrants.p22하지만접촉자체가항상긍정적인영향을미치는것은아닌데However, contact itself does not always have a positive effect…p22오랫동안접촉하지않은데에서오는비친숙성과긍정적상호접촉경험의부족에기인된것일수있기때문에…because [antagonism and prejudice] may stem from unfamiliarity due to long absence of contact and a lack of positive mutual contact…p22Limits the authors note
Although sampling was stratified nationwide, it was centered on major cities.
그 표집이 대도시를 중심으로 이루어졌다는 한계를 지닌다…has the limitation that the sampling was centered on major cities.p24다단계층화표본을통해표본을전국표집하였으…the sample was drawn nationwide through multistage stratified sampling…p23Despite interviewer training and two screening rounds, some distorted or careless answers may not have been caught.
왜곡되거나 불성실한 응답을 다 잡아내지 못한 부분이 있을 것으로 사료된다It is thought that some distorted or insincere responses may not have been fully caught.p24조사원들을충분히교육하여설문조사를실시하고2차의스크린작업을하였음에도불구하고Despite sufficiently training the surveyors and conducting a second screening…p24Key terms
Jeong (정, 情) The feeling that arises when sharing time and space with close people like family or friends and sensing warmth and ease without formality.
상대방에 대해 혹은 상대방으로부터 다정함과 허물없음을 느낄 때 드는 감정이다…is the feeling that arises when one feels warmth and ease without formality toward, or from, the other person.p5정은친밀하고가까운관계, 예를들면가족이나친구와시간과공간을공유하고Jeong arises in close relationships, for example sharing time and space with family or friends…p5Simjeong (심정, 心情) One's inner heart that is not shown outwardly; as jeong builds up, Koreans come to open up this inner heart.
겉으로 드러내지 않는 속마음이라고 할 수 있는 ‘심정’을 털어놓게 된다…come to confide 'simjeong,' which can be called the inner heart not revealed on the outside.p23한국인은정이쌓일수록개인의사적인속감정과As jeong accumulates, Koreans [reveal] their private inner feelings and…p23Social distance Differences in the degree of sympathetic understanding between people — measured here by whether one could accept the other as a neighbor, coworker, friend, spouse, and so on.
사회적 거리감이란 사람들 사이에 존재하는 공감적 이해(sympathetic understanding)의 상이한 정도로 개념화된다Social distance is conceptualized as differing degrees of sympathetic understanding that exist between people.p4그들을이웃주민, 직장동료, 친구, 한국인으로받아들이기에는비교적적었지만, 배우자나자녀의배우자로받아들이기에는…[social distance] was relatively small for accepting them as neighbors, coworkers, friends, or Koreans, but for accepting them as a spouse or a child's spouse…p11