233P
Korean American Fathers' Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Parenting Involvement
There are few studies for immigrant fathers’ parenting involvement even though the importance of the father-child relationship increase. This study is to examine Korean immigrant fathers’ perceptions and attitudes toward their parenting involvement. The study is directed to the following research question: What are the psycho-socio-cultural-spiritual factors affecting Korean immigrant fathers’ parenting involvement? The objectives of this study are: (1) to examine how the psycho-socio-cultural-spiritual factors influence Korean immigrant fathers’ parenting involvement; (2) to increase the understanding of Korean immigrant fathers’ perceptions and attitudes toward their own parenting involvement; (3) to develop the insight of culturally competent father-focused assessment and interventions.
Methods:
The study employed a qualitative research method of face-to-face individual interviews. The interview guide is semi-structured as follows: acculturation, education, economic circumstances, self-esteem, intergenerational aspects of fatherhood, and religion and spirituality. The target population of this study is eight Korean immigrant fathers who have at least one biological child less than 19 years of age. Korean churches served as the setting because churches are the best institution through which to reach the Korean American community. Two churches were selected from a Midwestern city. Eight participants were recruited through convenience sampling method and interviewed. For the analysis of this study, qualitative content analysis is done using the following steps: (i) data are read word by word to derive codes; (ii) codes are sorted into categories based on how different codes are related; (iii) definition for each category, subcategory, and code are developed; (iv) identify the relationship between categories and subcategories further based on their circumstance.
Results:
The findings of this study showed that affectionate attitudes, English proficiency, self-esteem, economic circumstances, education, and religious faith and church activities are identified factors affecting the participants’ perceptions and attitudes toward their parenting involvement. The participants struggled with expressing their feelings and affectionate gestures/attitudes to their children because they did not experience the display of such affectionate behaviors from their parents. They also struggled with sharing their children’s deepest concerns or some issues related to their social lives in English. The participants’ self-esteem was related to the image they have of their own fathers, their educational background, and their ability to provide financial support. The participants felt guilty and lost their authority as fathers when they were not successful in their careers and did not provide enough financial support for their children. Church encouraged them to become a good spiritual model for their children, and helped them and their children feel a sense of belonging and identity.
Conclusions and Implications:
The study contributes to developing Korean fathers’ self-awareness of the intergenerational and intercultural conflict resulting from the lack of Korean immigrant fathers’ involvement. The study provides culturally competent father-focused assessment and interventions: fatherhood programs and father-child relationship programs. Fatherhood programs help fathers become aware of how the lack of intimacy with their own fathers affected their involvement in their children’s activities. Father-child relationship programs help fathers and their children understand the cultural difference and develop more effective relationship.