국내 거주 중국인 어머니의 유아기 자녀 양육 경험에 관한 질적연구

A Qualitative Study on the Parenting Experiences of Chinese Mothers Living in South Korea with Early Childhood Children

Objective: The parenting experiences of Chinese mothers in South Korea(hereafter, Korea) are explored in this study, addressing the lack of research by considering their values and beliefs from an integrated perspective. Methods: Two semi-structured individual interviews were conducted twice with eight Chinese mothers living in Seoul and the metropolitan area, and their parenting experiences were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis. Results: This study reveals that Chinese mothers raising their children in Korea navigate their parental roles with a sense of pride, skillfully integrating Korean and Chinese cultural elements despite facing various practical challenges. Six overarching themes emerged from the findings: “Parental self-identity,” “Parental roles in two similar yet different countries”, “The first steps of parental roles in early childhood in Korea,” “Co-parenting created together as a couple,” “The weightand joy of parenthood,” and “The multifaceted experience of being a Chinese mother in South Korea.” Conclusions: This study comprehensively analyzes the parenting behaviors, stress, and environmental factors of Chinese mothers residing in Korea, providing an in-depth understanding of their parenting experiences. Based on the findings, the study emphasizes the necessity of developing parent education programs, co-parenting initiatives, and improving parenting support policies tailored to the unique needs of Chinese parents.