KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study investigates representations of motherhood in Korean language textbooks for female marriage immigrants, focusing on 󰡔The Exciting Korean Language󰡕 and 󰡔The Accurate Korean Language󰡕, which are widely used in multicultural family centers. Drawing on Sadker and Sadker’s (2003) framework of “Stereotyping” and “Imbalance and selectivity“, this study analyzed illustrations and texts. Findings revealed that mothers were consistently depicted as the primary agents of childcare, education, and household management, with such topics concentrated in dialogues between female characters. Additionally, textual portrayals emphasize devotion and self-sacrifice, whereas marriage-migrant mothers are often depicted as dependent, unlike Korean mothers. The study highlights the need for future textbook development to address learner needs within their structural contexts and include more diverse and non-traditional representations of motherhood (e.g., scenes that emphasize experience-sharing and mutual support among mothers from minority backgrounds.

female marriage immigrant, Korean language textbooks, motherhood, representation, hidden curriculum