Social Capital and Life Satisfaction of the Migrant Wives with the Multicultural Backgrounds in Korea

The paper empirically examines the relations between social factors and life satisfactions of the migrant wives at the multicultural families in Korea. It specially focuses on the effects of social capital indicators on life satisfaction in the urban and rural area. In case of Korea, social capital partially affects life satisfaction if other conditions, ethnic origin, social discrimination experiences and socioeconomic status are equal. Life satisfaction of the migrant wives improves only when they are socially connected to the people or groups, the Koreans or those with the same origin, in a better position to provide them with many information or useful resources. Such an effect of some social capital indicators on life satisfaction is obvious for the migrant wives in the densely populated area, the urban area. Social connection to the Korean persons in need of help plays an important role to both the rural and the urban area, but the connection to those with the same origin plays a positive role only in the urban residents. The findings of life satisfaction in the empirical research provide some policy suggestions, such as the social programs for the stronger social relations and the active civic engagements, and the comprehensive policies for the interactive multiculturalism in Korea.