Objective: The purpose of this study was to learn from Korean female defectors
about their views of child-rearing experiences in South Korea. This study
explored how 7 North Korean female defectors with young children developed
child-rearing microideologies that acknowledge both North Korean cultural
ideology and South Korean cultural ideology.
Methods: To examine North Korean female defectors’ child-rearing experiences,
indepth interviews with 7 North Korean female defectors with young children
were conducted.
Results: Four theme clusters, 11 themes, and 47 meanings were found from a
phenomenological analysis with indepth interview data. Based on the themes,
three types of child-rearing microideologies were identified: (1) separation,(2)
assimilation, and (3) integration. Each type of child-rearing microideology can
be understood with a meaningful phrase“there is no choice”, “nevertheless” and
“because I came here to be better,” respectively.
Conclusion/Implications: This study provides knowledge on the individualspecified
child-rearing strategy of North Korean female defectors with young
children and suggests the necessity of diverse policy proposals based on the
child-rearing microideology types.