자발적 분리를 선택한 유학생 어머니의 자녀 양육 경험

The experience of raising children of mothers of international students who chose voluntary separation

이 연구는 자발적 분리를 선택한 유학생 어머니의 자녀 양육 경험을 심층적으로 탐색하고 이해하고자 한 것이다. 이를 위해 Giorgi(1985)의 현상학적 연구 방법을 활용하였다. 연구결과, 108개의 의미단위, 12개의 하위주제와 4개의 상위주제가 도출되었다. 자발적 분리를 선택한 유학생 어머니의 자녀 양육 경험은 ‘학업과 양육 사이 고군분투’, ‘다중역할의 무게와 책임감’, ‘숨 쉬게 해주는 동력’, ‘상실과 부담을 감내하며 얻는 엄마로서의 성장’이라는 4개의 상위주제로 드러났다. 유학생 어머니들은 학업과 자녀양육이라는 이중 과업에서 ‘현재의 고통을 발판 삼아 꿈꾸는 미래로 나아가기 위한 몸부림’을 하며 유학생활과 자녀양육 사이에서 고군분투하고 있었다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 유학생 어머니의 고충에 대한 지원체계 구축과 다각적 지원 방법 모색 필요성을 제안하고, 사회복지실천 함의를 논의하였다.

This study aimed to explore and understand the essential meaning of the childrearing experiences of married female international students, utilizing Giorgi's qualitative phenomenological research method. For data collection, five married female international students currently residing in Korea with children were carefully selected as participants. Interviews were conducted from October to November 2024, with three in-depth, one-on-one sessions. All of these married female international students, in their 30s and 40s, sought to vividly and candidly express their practical experiences with childrearing. Thematically analyzing the data yielded 108 meaningful units related to the research topic, which were then categorized into 12 subthemes through a circular analysis process. The analysis revealed four overarching themes: ‘A life teetering between academics and parenting,’ ‘The weight and responsibility of multiple roles,’ ‘Things that give me breathing,’ and ‘Growth achieved at a price.’ Furthermore, the child-rearing experiences of married female international students were ultimately analyzed as ‘a struggle to use present suffering as a springboard to move toward a dreamed future.’ Based on these findings, the study proposed practical discussions for social welfare practice, including establishing a support system to address the difficulties faced by married female international students and exploring multifaceted support methods.