AUTHOR : 이효선
INFORMATION : page. 49~84 / 2010 Vol.17 No.1
This study, targeting people who have come to Korea over five years ago as young migrant workers, aimed to examine which characteristics of these migrant laborers have experienced are as a turning point, and what significance it has in terms of biographical development in young adulthood. This study also investigated the coping strategies that these migrant workers have used to overcome the difficulties they faced while adapting to a new environment and culture. To this end, the data collection for this study was carried out using F. Schütze’s narrative interview method and also consisted of an in-depth analysis through four steps. Two cases out of nine that show the progress of biographical development well in early adulthood, were reconstructed through the analysis steps. During the period of study, the researcher constructed the ways in which the individuals described their lives and all cases were reconstructed using the minimum and maximum comparison. It is possible to look deeper into the aspects regarding the identity of each individual. In the cases of A and B, they displayed active adaptation behaviors at a superficial level but did not raise any question in terms of their beliefs or values concerning the culture of their homeland and the new culture they have experienced since migrating to Korea. In conclusion, the migrant workers studied here were engaged in acts purely for adaptation. Rather than acquiring an understanding of them, the research targets merely seek to adjust themselves to the environment in order to live in Korean society. From the macro perspective, it is possible to shed light on their lives in the sense that they are migrant workers living in Korea. Although Korea seeks to become a nation of many races and nationalities where multicultural human rights are realized under the banner of a ‘multicultural society,’ it is ironically unable to encompass the various members of society that form a ‘multicultural society.’ Currently, laws and policy regarding multiculturalism are limited to those who have acquired Korean nationality, which, in actuality, means that foreign workers as well as people in other various categories are excluded from institutional protection and benefits. In short, the concept of multiculturalism in Korean society is still that of firmly establishing Korea’s nationality and uniqueness. Because multiculturalism is basically a concept that premises the existence ofeach individual culture that exists co-independently, it is inevitable that we continually recognize the differences and dissimilarities of each individual culture. Multicultural discourse in Korea should not remain at the level of merely discovering and recognizing these differences but, rather, should grow into a more active and mature discourse. Unlike the concept of multiculturalism which pursues variety, this is the concept of interculturalism that highlights integration and the process of an individual and society interconnecting. Therefore, more discussion and debate is necessary in order to reach a social consensus and the perspective of interculturalism is required. Key words : Migrant workers, Qualitative study, Biography research, Biographical development, Interculturalism. Case study.
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