This study is to point out Korean society’s situation discriminating between female spouses from underdeveloped countries and those from developed countries and to find a solution to it. To solve the problem, this study focuses on the education establishing self-identity.
By 2007, foreign spouses who have been married to Korean citizens amount to 106,437. Among them, 93,902 people, 88.2% are female.
The word of “female marriage immigrants” means different from international marriage for love. the people called “female marriage immigrants” are those who married Korean males through marriage agencies or certain religious bodies. In this case, most Korean male spouses are singles who are not chosen by Korean females. The word “female marriage immigrants” also has a meaning of female marriage immigrants from underdeveloped countries such as China, Viet Nam, Philippines, Mongolia and Thailand etc.
Recently, Korean society is developing programs based on “the ethics of differences” which excludes violent Korean culture education demanding uniformity. The Korean culture education based on multicultural philosophy can be recognized as an advanced culture education which admits the differences of each culture. It can also be regarded as an improved culture education in a way of “the ethics of differences” by teaching the excellency of the culture of mother’s country.
But “the ethics of differences” can not be an active concept creating new values. Korean society has to find a new ethics in order to adopt various cultures as well as to develop the ability of female marriage immigrants. The final goal is not to only recognize the differences but to obtain equality.
The linguists, Acton and Felix categorized the cultural change of foreign language learners into 4, ie. Tourist stage, Survivor stage, Immigrant stage and Citizen stage and discovered the acculturation threshold between survivor stage and immigrant stage. Korean culture eduction should be done taking the stages of the learner’s cultural change into account. Stage 1, the tourist stage has to focus on the position of mere observer who just compare Korean culture with his/her own country’s culture. Stage 2, the survivor stage is to teach the basic cultural knowledge which is necessary for living. Stage 3, the immigrant stage needs to obtain the knowledge of cultural products, tangible or intangible, and to take detailed actions under Korean culture and further understand it. Stage 4, the citizen stage requires the education for the learner’s practice in his/her own way, that is to say, to make the learner to solve the problem on her own using materials around him/her.
In conclusion, Korean culture education for female marriage immigrants should become more meaningful by considering their better lives and new happiness. It means that the education should create productive energy individually and socially. Our society has to go over the mere concept of recognizing foreign culture. We have to go further by making each female marriage immigrant to develop ‘the nomad thought’ and reborn as a “nomadic subject” in order to make self-achievement on her own.