후기 아동기 자녀를 둔 어머니의 수치심에 관한 근거이론적 접근

Shame in Mothers: Grounded Theory

Objective: This study aims to form a basis for pediatric counseling, parental counseling and education through the understanding mothers’ experiences of shame and their coping mechanisms. Methods: The raw data were collected through interviews and photo-voice techniques from five mothers of children. The data were subject to coding analysis using constructivist grounded theory, followed by photo-voice analysis. Results: The participants’ experiences of shame were comprised of 214 concepts, 46 topics, and 13 theories. Their coping experiences included 164 concepts, 38 topics, and 15 theories. The central theme was the “recognition of the power of the innate dignity”. The participants experienced shame at an early age, various types of shame, and negative coping mechanisms. They exhibited dysfunctional parenting behaviors toward their children due to anxiety and depression caused by internal shame. Additionally, the shame they felt towards their relatives was found to be a particularly South Korean experience of relational shame. Conclusions: This study identifies the possibility of the generational transfer or learning of shame and reveals that widespread discrimination in family and social culture acts as an underline condition for internalized shame. This suggests the importance of the interaction between the individual and the systemic environment. It is necessary for parents to recognize and accept their feelings of shame caused by socio-cultural influences and to treat themselves as beings with dignity