This study was intended to identify path structure through pathway analysis with an emphasis on the cognitive elements that influenced on acculturative stress of marriage-based immigrant women. The results of the study were designed to establish foundation for practical measures and policies to support marriage-based immigrant women to well adjust their lives in the culture.
This study has established research model on the path structure according to the psychological stress theory as to how social support, coping strategy, and acculturative attitude recognized as a cognitive element of marriage-based immigrant women on the acculturative stress and implement practical verification. In addition, control variables were analyzed in the use of ages, education level, period of marriage, and income level of socio—demographic variables.
As for the data needed for the study, convenience sampling and snowball sampling were specifically performed at the same time on marriage-based immigrant women that resided in the area of Jeollabuk-do collecting data through survey and applied in the analysis of 204 cases.
The results of this study are as Allows.
First of all, education level among the socio-demographic elements of marriage-based immigrant women was confirmed to directly influence on acculturative stress. More precisely, the higher the education level was, the higher the acculturative stress was turned out to be. This was contradictory to the results of previous studies that education level was helpful in acculturative stress. In addition, it was assumed that marriage-based immigrant women in Korea were well educated anticipating raising status in society and might as well be much dejected if their expectations failed to turn into reality.
Secondly, other socio—demographic elements of marriage-based immigrant women, a period of marriage and income level, were confirmed to be an influential element determining the coping strategy and acculturative attitude. In other words, they were turned out to be influential on acculturative stress through the medium of acculturative attitude. This was assumed that the longer the period of marriage was, the more active and positive coping strategies were used with higher income level and also likely it was to maintain comprehensive acculturative attitude.
Third, social support perceived by marriage-based immigrant women was confirmed not to directly influence on acculturative stress but to be indirectly influential determining coping strategies and acculturative attitude. This was more of a higher-weighted indirect effect of social support on the acculturative stress through the medium of coping strategies and acculturative attitude than direct effect on it. In other words, social support was confirmed to influence on acculturative attitude in the interrelation with coping strategies, and acculturative attitude served as a deterministic element of acculturative stress.
Fourth, according to the results of analyzing path structure of influence of social support, coping strategies, and acculturative attitudes that were perceived as a cognitive element of marriage-based immigrant women for being influential on acculturative stress, it was confirmed that they were specifically weighted towards acculturative. Furthermore, it was also turned out that path structure of influence of socio-demographic elements were also concentrated on the acculturative attitude. This has confirmed that acculturative attitude was a very important factor in the acculturative procedures of marriage-based immigrant women.
Our society is in need of flexible and comprehensive approach and preparation for socio—cultural system as a multi-cultural society. Hereupon, it is very important to understand acculturative procedures of women beginning their lives through international marriage as a way of supporting them to overcome cultural shock and to well adjust their lives in the Korean culture and family. This study has identified that comprehensive acculturative attitude was a crucial variable in reducing acculturative stress in the acculturative procedures of marriage-based immigrant women. This assumes that establishing and performing policies of supporting co-existence of homeland cultures of marriage-based immigrant women and Korean cultures might be an efficient action in dealing with acculturative stress rather than forcing them to be adjusted to Korean culture.