• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.245-269
• /
• 2007

The purpose of this study is to current status of library services for immigrants in Korea, where the number of immigrants reaches one million. To do this, the cases of library services for immigrants in North America and Europe were investigated and persons in charge who work in 10 public libraries and 5 private libraries serving immigrants in Korea were interviewed. Also, research articles, newspapers and related websites are utilized. Current status and limitations of library services for immigrants were discussed and some suggestions were presented.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.7-25
• /
• 2009

This study examines and compares public library services for immigrants in the U.S. in the early 1900s and nowadays. U.S. public libraries in the early 1900s supported the Americanizing movement by opening English language classes and providing information that is essential for U.S. citizenship. Public librarians also recognized the importance of foreign language materials; by providing foreign language materials and developing diverse services to reach immigrants, public libraries eventually hastened assimilation processes. Despite a gap of one hundred years, the situation today is not very different. Public libraries still try hard to serve their ethnic patrons with extensive foreignlanguage collections and culturally diverse library programs, while still emphasizing English language education.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.213-243
• /
• 2020

The research aims to investigate immigrants', librarians' and multicultural experts' information needs and perception on current multicultural services in Korean libraries, and to suggest the directions for providing multicultural library services. The research collected the data through conducting both in-depth interviews and focus group interviews with immigrants, librarians and multicultural experts. The research found the significant and emergent features on immigrants' and librarians' requests and perception about current library multicultural services. On the analysis of the findings, the research discussed the implications of the policies for library multicultural services and the alternatives to improve library multicultural services and librarians' multicultural competencies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.183-195
• /
• 1999

The purpose of this study is to describe the health care status of Korean Immigrants in New Zealand. The sample consisted of 155 Koreans who were randomly selected from the Korean Immigrants telephone book in Auckland, N.Z. They had health problems that required health management both physically (50.3%) and psychologically(70.3%). During the previous year, the average rate of medical contact with a general practitioner was 1$\pm$1.29 times. Korean immigrants who had health problems first attempted to resolve the problem through self medication rather than utilize health care services. They would only visit a general practitioner if they had severe subjective symptoms or no relief from self medication. Even if they think they need to visit the health care service, 41.9% of the subjects did not go back for follow-up care. Generally, the person who demonstrated positive health care behaviors was male, a college level graduate or higher, lived in N.Z. longer than 2 years, had a high score on health status by self assessment, and he placed few demands on health care services. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle are communication difficulties in expressing subjective symptoms, understanding the physician's treatment and medication plans, difficulty in accessing the appointment system and the high cost of service.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.133-161
• /
• 2018

Despite the amount of government budget and resources used for female immigrants who married Korean spouses, it has not been evaluated yet whether the services designed for the immigrants are actually delivered to potential users with social needs. This study is an attempt to identify moderating factors associated with perceived needs and utilizing services of the Multicultural Family Support Centers. The National Survey on Multicultural Families 2015 is used for the analysis. Findings are as follows: the immigrant with better Korean communication skills would use the center services more when they have needs; the immigrants who lack skills were more likely to use center services in spite of the needs. Secondly, the more female spouses satisfied with their marriages, they were less likely to use the services; however, the moderating effect was not significant, On the other hand, Korean male spouses' patriarchal attitude was statistically significant. According to the results, practical and political implications were suggested.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.290-301
• /
• 2013

This study aimed to explore the effect of the intimacy with social workers on the use of social welfare services of marriage-based female immigrants. Also, this study verified the effect of the quantity of the welfare service-related information as a mediated variable on the use of social welfare services. For this purpose, this study collected data from a total of 304 immigrant women married to Korean men living in City of Busan, City of Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province, and the data was analysed by SPSS 21. As the result of study, the intimacy with social workers had significant influences on the use of social welfare services of the married immigrant women. The results also showed that the intimacy with social workers contributed to the quantity of the welfare service-related information. Based on these results, implications of the important roles of social workers and the directions of their effective roles for the marriage based female immigrants to use the social welfare services were suggested.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.103-114
• /
• 2017

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the married female immigrants' experience on Korean dietary life adaptation, especially identifying the symbolic meaning and nature of experiences. Methods: This study was conducted with six married female immigrants through an analysis of the qualitative materials which consisted of in-depth interviews, field notes and materials. Data was analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological research methods. Results: The results were deduced as 116 significant statements, 17 formulated meanings (sub-theme), and 6 theme clusters. Six theme clusters comprised of lack of preliminary knowledge and information, conflict and support in relationships, Korean food culture which is different from homeland, adaptation attitudes of Korean food culture according to situation, sharing of homeland food culture, and practical difficulty and expectative service. The participants started Korean life in the dark about Korea and Korean food culture, so they were subjected to trial and error. The conflict between Korean mother-in-law and foreign daughter-in-law came from lack of consideration of daughter-in-law's cultural background. Some participants were hurt because of misunderstanding and nitpicking. They were learning about cooking method, ingredient, seasoning, table setting and manner. Some participants integrated Korean food culture and their homeland food culture. Some of them assimilated with Korean food culture. One of them maintained homeland food culture. The participants who adapted Korean food culture well could share homeland food amicably. They sometimes didn't apply the services which were offered by the government, because the services did not fit their needs. Some of them didn't know the usage route of the services or information. They had resistance about home teaching and it showed that outreach service was not always effective. Conclusions: This study suggested that it is necessary to develop a practical support plan which covers married female immigrants' real needs and system improvement measures.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.413-422
• /
• 2010

With the beginning of foreign workers' immigration since 1990, Korea has faced multi-cultural society. At the same time, the number of female marriage immigrants have constantly increased. But the social services for immigrants are not yet prepared. According to the research on the actual condition of immigrants' culture enjoyment, which was done by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, the most preferable leisure activity of immigrants is 'sightseeing'. So this study focused on improvement of web contents of tourism information to satisfy the information needs of immigrants. Concretely, this study analysed the present condition of the existing tourism web contents, and analysed deeply the web site 'Tourism Busan' for special reference. Especially this study tried to analyse VOD images among web contents of 'Tourism Busan', and provided concrete improvement plan for that. And also this study processed interview with marriage immigrants to provide web site evaluation at the level of immigrants' eyes. As a result of evaluation, immigrants was the most dissatisfied with 'contents quality', and showed lower dissatisfaction at 'service quality', 'interface quality' factors.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.53-66
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was considered in order to identify the factors affecting healthcare utilization by Asian immigrants in the United States. Methods: From February to April 2011, a descriptive survey study was conducted in a convenience sample of 250 Korean and Asian Indian immigrants aged between 40 and 64 in the Triangle area of North Carolina. An author-developed instrument was used to assess predisposing, enabling, and need factors according to Anderson's Behavioral Model of Health Services. Utilization Data analysis was performed by $X^2$-test, t-test, and binary logistic regression. Results: Participants' healthcare services experiences were significantly different when they had a longer stay in the U.S., had been employed, had higher income, were Asian Indians, had better English-speaking skills, better health status, more knowledge of health system and health insurance, had higher satisfaction with the healthcare system, and when they were taking prescribed medications and having health insurance. The strongest association with experience of healthcare services was having health insurance with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 15.37 (95% CI 4.95-47.71, p<.001) and self-reported English proficiency (OR=1.99, 95% CI 1.00-3.96, p=.05). Conclusion: Intervention strategies to increase accessibility to healthcare services should focus on these significant predictors.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.119-146
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to find the integrated educational programs for the female marital immigrant families in Korea. For this purpose, 21 immigrated female informants and 33 visiting teachers who provide teaching services to female informants were focus-group interviewed. The Major findings were as follows: Through the content analysis of informant's responses, both married female immigrants and visiting teachers expressed the needs of Korean language programs interpreted by immigrants' native speakers as well as programs to support their children. Married female immigrants expressed the needs for her husbands joining educational programs not much, on the other hand visiting teachers insisted to join their husbands as well as other family members to diverse family-related programs. Married female immigrants wanted programs to support their working skills, however visiting teachers emphasized their responsibilities and active attitudes before they get a job. Married female immigrants were not conscious any counselling programs to cope with husband's violence or maladjusted children, on the other hand visiting teachers insisted counselling programs to help female immigrants. Above all the programs, most of female marital immigrants wanted Korean language programs interpreted by their native speakers and programs to support their working skills, on the other hand visiting teachers emphasized the importance of family-related programs and counselling programs.