Acculturation as a frustration-negotiation cycle: North Korean women defectors in South Korea

Abstract

Ever since the corrupt leadership of North Korea stopped distributing wages and food, men’s role as breadwinners was upended and the family structure has altered. Wives tended to take on both roles, as breadwinners and homemakers because their husbands became unable to provide financial security for their families. North Korea has had a male-dominated family structure, where a man’s authority over his wife far exceeds what is seen in South Korea, where women are quite independent; marriage begins with a romantic relationship, and divorce is not such a disgrace. It was seen that female defectors have tended to exceed male defectors with respect to financial independence. For the latter, one of the main obstacles in cultural adaption is change in political ideology, which did not bother the former to the same extent. While the men struggled with ideological changes, the women approached their circumstances realistically and were more down to earth. In this study, three female defectors, aged 31, 42, and 53 years, participated and shared their stories. Throughout the interviews, they frequently compared their lives in both North and South Korea. The substantial differences between the two locations resulted in major frustration for them. While the participants experienced frustration with regard to their negotiations—or what is referred to as frustration-negotiation in this study—they developed their own sense of judgment and perspectives and began to modify their identities.

Abstract in Korean

북한사회는 임금과 식량 배급이 중단된 후부터 가장으로서의 남성의 역할이 뒤바뀌며 가족구조가 변화를 겪고 있다. 남편들이 더 이상 가족의 경제적 안정을 제공할 수 없기 때문에 부인들이 가장이자 주부라는 두 가지 역할을 떠맡게 되었다. 북한 사회는 남편의 권위가 부인보다 훨씬 큰 남성지배사회지만, 탈북을 하면 여성들이 남성들보다 경제적으로 더 독립적이 된다. 그리고 남성 탈북인들은 정치적 이념 때문에 적응에 어려움을 겪지만 탈북여성들은 상대적으로 이념의 영향을 덜 받는다. 탈북남성들이 이념의 변화와 씨름하는 동안 탈북여성들은 자신들의 처지에 대해 현실적으로 접근한다. 이 연구는 심층면접을 통해 각각 31, 42, 53살인 세 여성의 삶의 경험을 조사한 것이다. 면담의 과정에서 탈북여성들은 종종 남과 북에서의 자신들의 삶을 비교하였다. 두 나라의 너무 다른 모습으로 인해 좌절과 협상이라는 순환(frustration-negotiation cycles)을 겪지만, 결국은 탈북여성들 나름의 판단을 거치며 정체성을 찾기 시작한다는 것이 연구의 결론이다.

Keywords:

• North Korean women defectors
• frustration-negotiation cycle
• narrative identity negotiation

Keywords:

• 탈북여성
• 좌절-협상 순환
• 서사적 정체성

Notes on contributors

YOON Gyun-Soo is Professor in the Department of Public Administration at Korea University. He teaches organizational theory and case study methods within the qualitative tradition. He has published numerous works on organizational and leadership behavior based on the storytelling method. Email: [email protected]

PARK Amie Meeae is Research Professor at Institute of Globalization and Multicultural Studies, affiliated with Han Yang University. She earned her PhD. in Adult Education from Penn State University, U.S.A. Her research focuses on immigrant women, intercultural marriage, and narrative identity negotiation. She is currently working for a group of Asian marriage immigrant women in Korea.