(Abstract)
This study investigates what kinds of social supports the female marriage immigrants receive from their neighboring people, and from what kinds of people they get the supports. In addition, by finding out the relationship between marriag...
(Abstract)
This study investigates what kinds of social supports the female marriage immigrants receive from their neighboring people, and from what kinds of people they get the supports. In addition, by finding out the relationship between marriage satisfaction and social support they recognize I tried to earn some practical ideas for helping the female marriage immigrants living as the members of our society and raising up their marriage satisfaction.
For this purpose I surveyed the people gathering in the institutions or places such as 3 general social welfare centers in Daegu and Pohang city, 1 family welfare center for female marriage immigrants, a gathering of Philippine female immigrants in a local church, female immigrants in a Catholic church in Daegu, female immigrants in Yecheon area. The survey was carried out from Feb. 20 to Mar. 10. 2006, and gained 80 answer sheets. For the analysis I used SPSS/WIN 10.0 and carried out frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, T-test, One-way ANOVA, correlation analysis.
The followings are the summary of the research.
First, based on the research about the general characteristics I found out some meaningful difference in the level of p<.05 in the areas of the ages, job experiences before marriage, and academic background of the respondents. In the research about family characteristics, I found out that there was a meaningful difference (p<.01) only in the number of marriage experiences, and so the marriage satisfaction was high when both of the couples married first time. In the research about the inter marriage characteristics, the results showed p<.05 difference in the sphere of the experiences of discrimination and alienation. and p<.01 difference in the level of understanding Korean culture.
Second, as I analyzed the social supports for the respondents I studied the relationship between the structural and functional dimensions. For the lower spheres of structural dimension I surveyed major supporters, contact frequency, period of relationship, size of supporters group, and for the functional dimension I studied emotional, informational, materialistic, and appraisal supports. The respondents answered that they receive functional support from their mother-in-law (M 3.65), husband (M 3.56), friends from their own country (M 3.43). They felt that they get emotional support from their mother-in-law (M 3.87), friends from their own country (M 3.63), husband (M 3.62). In the contact frequency only husband's family showed a meaningful relationship (r=.28~.31, p<.05) in terms of lower spheres of functional dimension. In the period of relationship only the relationship with religious workers (r=.36, p<.05) showed meaningful relationship in terms of emotional support. There was no meaningful difference in the size of supporters group. The respondents felt that they gain the support in the order of emotional, informational, appraisal, and materialistic supports.
Third, as I analyzed the relationship between social support and marriage satisfaction, I tried to devide the social support into the structural and functional dimensions. In the relationship between the structural dimension and total marriage satisfaction, all supporters except the friends from their own country were close to the total marriage satisfaction in average. In the size of the supporters group only the friends from their own country had the meaningful relationship (r=.27, p<.05) with the total marriage satisfaction, and in the contact frequency Korean friends (neighbors), counselors, and social welfare workers showed meaningful difference (p<.05) in terms of marriage satisfaction. The relationship between functional dimension and marriage satisfaction showed low mutual relationship (r=.31, p<.05) in total functional support and total marriage satisfaction. They recognized the relationship between functional support and total marriage support in the order of materialistic, informational, emotional, appraisal support (r=.35~.25, p<.01, p<.05). The relationship between functional support and marriage support appeared in the order of satisfaction of general marriage life, socio-psychological homogeneity feeling, factors of unsatisfaction in couple's life (r=-.34, p<.01), recognition of the marriage life (r=.32~.38, p<.01). There did not occur any meaningful relationship between resonable attitude of couples and total functional support. The most meaningful negative mutual relationship (r=-4.0, p<.01) appeared in the relationship between appraisal support and couple's relationship.
Through this research I recognized that the marriage satisfaction of the respondents was closely related to frequent meeting with the Korean friends, counselors, and social welfare workers in terms of structural dimension. In terms of functional dimension the respondents are getting high emotional support from the mother-in-law and friends from their own friends. When the respondents get high materialistic support, their marriage satisfaction was high. Also I found out that husbands' positive appraisal contributes to lower the factor of unsatisfaction in the couples' relationship.
The results of the research provide following suggestions for improving the marriage satisfaction of the female marriage immigrants. First, social supports for making harmonious relationship between the marriage immigrants and the mother-in-laws should be provided in the earlier stage of marriage to prevent the conflict between the two. Second, training program for healthy couple's life should be provided to help husbands give positive appraisals and emotional support. Third, practical and continuous programs are needed for making self supporting groups among the friends from their own countries, Korean friends or neighbors. Fourth, regular training and discussions among the Korean language teachers for the immigrants, counselors, social welfare workers for the purpose of right acceptance and understanding of the multi cultures.
I want to suggest, more that anything else, a systematic and integrated support policy for making proper social circumstances for the female marriage immigrants, their family members, and their children to live well as members of our society.