Table Of ContentNARRATIVE PASTORAL CARE AND UNHEARD SOUTHEAST ASIAN WOMEN:
MARRIAGE IMMIGRANT WOMEN
A Dissertation
presented to
the Faculty of
Claremont School of Theology
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Insuk Kim
May 2020
© 2020 by Insuk Kim
This Dissertation completed by
Insuk Kim
has been presented to and accepted by
the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
of the degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Faculty Committee
Duane R. Didwell
K. Samuel Lee
Grace Yia-Hei Kao
Dean of the Faculty
Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook
May 2020
ABSTRACT
NARRATIVE PASTORAL CARE AND UNHEARD SOUTHEAST ASIAN WOMEN:
MARRIAGE IMMIGRANT WOMEN
Insuk Kim
This dissertation has a point concern about the lives of marriage immigrant women
in Korea. Many marriage immigrant women have come to Korea to have a better life.
However, many of them have experienced difficulties related to culture, language,
relationships, and so on because they came to Korea without any preparation for life in a
strange country. In addition, marriage immigrant women have experienced exclusion,
discrimination, oppression, and neglect within Korean society because Koreans tend not
to have the proper ability to coexist with people of other cultures and races. Under these
circumstances, marriage immigrant women face multilayered and complex difficulties.
To understand the lives of marriage immigrant women in greater detail and to help
them through effective pastoral counseling, this study began with two questions: what do
marriage immigrant women experience, and how can pastoral caregivers respond to
them? Through empirical research, it has been revealed that marriage immigrant women
are significantly influenced by the existence or absence of mutuality in their lives.
Marriage immigrant women have difficulty acquiring mutuality with themselves, others,
and God because of various factors. In this study, Confucianism, patriarchalism, and the
Korean emphasis on having pure bloodlines and being a homogeneous nation are
considered as the main causes for the lack of mutuality in the lives of marriage immigrant
women.
After considering the diverse factors for insufficient mutuality in the lives of
marriage immigrant women, this study provides proper strategies of pastoral counseling
for them. Marriage immigrant women have difficulty developing mutuality with
themselves, others, and God because monocultural perspectives influenced by
Confucianism exclude and limit them. Therefore, intercultural pastoral counseling is
suggested as an alternative to monocultural approaches. Moreover, pastoral counseling
needs to liberate marriage immigrant women from oppressive and restrictive structures
that cause identity confusion and a lack of mutuality in their lives. To address these
concerns, narrative therapy is proposed as a pastoral counseling approach for helping
marriage immigrant women develop their identities.
This dissertation is dedicated to
my father, Soo-Ung Kim,
and my mother, Ock-Hee Jang,
who have supported me during my whole life.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank all the people who have supported and encouraged me on my
life's journey. They have given me strength and comfort while I was facing moments of
despair and discouragement.
First of all, I am grateful to my family. Sung-Jin, my husband, friend, and spiritual
companion, has always been beside me with encouragement and comfort. Also, my first
son, Daniel Jiwoo, and my daughter, Josephine Ji-In, are special gifts whom God sent to
me. They have always given me beautiful smiles and enabled me to experience new
things in every moment of my life.
I am particularly grateful to my professors, who have helped me grow and develop
along my academic journey. Dr. Duane Bidwell, Dr. Samuel Lee, and Dr. Grace Kao
have brought me to this point. I would not be here without your help and support.
Above all, I thank God for guiding me in every moment of my life. I will
remember the love and care God has given me and share it with others.
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Table of Contents
Page
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... vii
Chapter 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................1
Discussion of the Problem .............................................................................................. 2
Discussion of the Thesis ............................................................................................... 10
Review of Closely Related Literature ........................................................................... 11
Methodology and Methods ........................................................................................... 16
Definitions..................................................................................................................... 25
Marriage Immigrant Women (결혼이민여성) ......................................................... 25
Multiculturalism (다문화) ........................................................................................ 26
Multicultural Capacity in Korea ............................................................................... 27
Multicultural Ministry in Korea ................................................................................ 30
Audience ....................................................................................................................... 35
Scope and Limitations................................................................................................... 36
Originality and Contributions ....................................................................................... 37
Outline of the Chapters and Flow of the Argument ...................................................... 38
Chapter 2. Research Methodology: Phenomenology ........................................................40
Marriage Immigrant Women in Qualitative Research .................................................. 40
Feminist Epistemological Reflection in Qualitative Research ..................................... 42
Phenomenological Research for Studying Marriage Immigrant Women ..................... 47
ii
The Relationship between Researcher and Participant in Qualitative Research .......... 49
Practical Theology and Qualitative Research ............................................................... 53
The Origins of Practical Theology ............................................................................ 53
The Primary Task of Practical Theology .................................................................. 56
The Methods of Practical Theological Hermeneutics ............................................... 58
The Relationship between Practical Theology and Qualitative Research ................ 62
Chapter 3. The Descriptive-Empirical and Interpretive Tasks through Interdisciplinary
Communication ................................................................................................66
The Lives of Marriage Immigrant Women in Korea .................................................... 67
The Causes and Consequences of Marriage Immigration to Korea ............................. 73
The Social Phenomena of Korean Society.................................................................... 74
The Economic Circumstances of Southeast Asian Women .......................................... 77
The Effects of Gender Discrimination .......................................................................... 79
Chapter 4. A Phenomenological Analysis of the Real Issues of Marriage Immigrant
Women .............................................................................................................81
Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 81
Recruiting Participants .................................................................................................. 82
Description of the Church ............................................................................................. 83
Conducting Interviews .................................................................................................. 84
Research Journal ........................................................................................................... 86
Coding and Analysis ..................................................................................................... 89
Descriptive Task ........................................................................................................... 93
iii
Histories and Experiences of the Research Participants ........................................... 94
Themes .................................................................................................................... 101
Chapter 5. Normative Dialogue with Feminist Theology................................................126
Contributors to a Lack of Mutuality ........................................................................... 127
Confucianism .......................................................................................................... 127
One-Blood Ideology................................................................................................ 130
Sexism Based on Patriarchy.................................................................................... 131
Feminist Theology as a Source of Transformation: Turning to Mutuality ................. 135
Mutuality ................................................................................................................. 137
Feminist Spirituality.............................................................................................. 1433
Feminist Pastoral Care and Counseling .................................................................... 1477
Premise for New Strategies of Pastoral Counseling ................................................. 1533
Chapter 6. The Pragmatic Task: Narrative Pastoral Care ..............................................1544
Imposed Narratives versus Preferred Narratives ...................................................... 1555
Externalizing Conversations as a Means to Liberate Women .................................. 1588
Re-Authoring Conversations .................................................................................... 1633
Definitional Ceremonies ........................................................................................... 1666
Chapter 7. Conclusion .................................................................................................17070
Concluding Reflection ............................................................................................ 17070
Contributions, Limitations, and Future Research Directions.................................... 1722
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................1744
Appendix B ....................................................................................................................1777
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