KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study identified latent profiles of parenting resources among immigrant mothers and examined differences in psychosocial adjustment among adolescents from multicultural families. Using data from the 5th wave (2023) of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), 1,818 mother–adolescent dyads were analyzed through latent profile analysis in JAMOVI 2.7.12, with group differences tested using one-way ANOVA and the Chi-square test. Three profiles were identified: resource-abundant (6.6%), resource-vulnerable (25.4%), and resource-average (68.0%). Adolescents in the resource-vulnerable group showed significantly higher levels of depression and social isolation, while those in the resource-abundant group demonstrated better school adjustment and career readiness. No significant differences were found in cyber delinquency. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of parenting resources in multicultural families and support a cumulative risk process in which clustered psychological and relational resource deficits are associated with adolescents’ psychosocial maladjustment. The findings provide empirical evidence for the development of integrated support systems targeting resource-vulnerable multicultural families.

The number of foreign residents in Korea has been steadily increasing, with Chinese nationals accounting for the largest proportion. Many Chinese residents come to Korea as laborers, driven by economic stagnation in China. At the same time, interest in learning the Korean language has grown due to the global popularity of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), and the comparatively lower tuition fees in Korea have led to a steady rise in the number of Chinese international students. This study aims to empirically analyze the cultural adaptation process of Chinese residents in Korea. A regression analysis based on survey data revealed statistically significant results, indicating that both the frequency of Korean app usage and engagement with Korean people have a positive impact on cultural adaptation. Based on the similarity attraction theory, the study also interprets that Chinese residents tend to form a sense of belonging, psychological stability, and trust within Korean society by connecting with Koreans who share similar interests through apps or by building rapport through interpersonal interactions.

Affective polarization amplifies hostility toward out-groups, eroding social trust and threatening the sustainability of democratic communities. As South Korean society accelerates its transition toward multiculturalism, it faces increasing risks of affective polarization surrounding migrants. In this context, this study examines the role of journalistic media and explores how news frames about migrant workers influence affective polarization through the mediation of discrete emotions (anger, hope, and sympathy). Specifically, an experimental design (N = 256) was employed to analyze the differential effects of alternative frames (human rights violation frame, economic benefit frame, and diversity inclusion frame) compared to the threat frame. The main findings are as follows. First, the threat frame, human rights violation frame, and economic benefit frame significantly strengthened their corresponding perceptions (threat perception, discrimination perception, and economic contribution perception, respectively), while the diversity inclusion frame did not affect inclusive perception. Second, no direct effects of news frames on emotions were observed; however, an indirect pathway through perceptions of migrant workers was identified. Third, compared to the threat frame, all three alternative frames reduced anger, thereby indirectly mitigating affective polarization toward migrant workers. Based on these findings, implications for news reporting practices are discussed.