This two years' study has both quantitative and qualitative components. In the first year, this study examined the effects of cultural challenge and economic hardship on marital processes among the multicultural couples, couple interdependency, and ...
This two years' study has both quantitative and qualitative components. In the first year, this study examined the effects of cultural challenge and economic hardship on marital processes among the multicultural couples, couple interdependency, and the factors that protect such marital processes. Data were drawn from a self-administered questionnaire study conducted in 2008 in which 415 couples(n=830) participated through 36 multicultural family support centers across the nation. Major findings were as follows.
First, path analyses based on the actor-partner interdependence models revealed that for Korean husbands perceived cultural challenge contributed not only positively to their depression and negative conflict behavior, but also negatively to marital stability perceived by both husbands and wives. In contrast, for immigrant wives perceived economic hardship contributed positively to their depression and negative conflict behavior, and also negatively to both marital satisfaction and marital stability perceived by both husbands and wives.
Second, using a family stress model based on economic pressure, this study examined four different models, economic hardship, cultural challenge, stress integration, and stress interaction, to understand the marital processes influenced by stress factors such as economic hardship and cultural challenge. Results of structural equation modeling analyses revealed that in both individual stress model and stress integration model, as predicted, perception of cultural challenge and/or economi hardship contributed positively to depression of both husbands and wives, and depression, in turn, was positively associated with negative conflict behavior of the couple. Furthermore, negative conflict behavior of the couple was negatively related to marital stability directly and indirectly through lower level of marital satisfaction of both husbands and wives. However, in the stress integration model the effect of depression caused by economic hardship among husbands was reduced when the effect of cultural challenge on depression was controlled for. In contrast, among wives, the effect of cultural challenge on depression was weakened as the effect of economic hardship on depression was controlled for. These results suggested that cultural challenge for husbands and economic hardship for wives had a greater impact on their marital processes. Finally, the interaction effect of these two stress factors on depression was significant only among husbands. The effect of economic hardship on depression was greater as the level of perceived cultural challenge was higher among husbands.
Third, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to find out whether hope, couple intimacy, and support service utilization moderate the effects on depression and negative conflict behavior of economic hardship and cultural challenge. Results revealed that the effect of economic hardship on depression was higher and such effect on negative conflict behavior was lower as the level of hope increased among wives. Couple intimacy showed only negative and direct effects on both depression and negative conflict behavior among both husbands and wives. Finally, among wives positive effects of economic hardship on depression and negative conflict behavior were less as support service utilization period was longer. Also, a positive impact of cultural challenge on negative conflict behavior was less among husbands who used support service.
In the second year, a qualitative study was conducted using 7 couples whose level of marital well-being reported in 2008 was either high(5 couples) or low (2couples). Results of narrative analyses indicated that quality of current marriage among these couples was not much different by the level of marital well-being found in the earlier study. Core meanings found in the narratives of the 5 couples whose marital well-being was higher in 2008 were as follows: Couple AB was <a considerate and understanding husband and a mother who wants to be always with her children>, couple CD was <following a wife's decision due to his gratitude toward her and confidence and hard work that produce good results>, couple EF was <empathy damaged by a sense of helplessness and a dream to help her own family that has not been come true>, couple GH was <harmony between conservative patriarchy and cultural openness>, and couple IJ was <happiness on the unstable foundation and a considerate wife loving her daughter>. In contrast, core meanings found in the narratives of the 2 couples whose marital well-being was lower in 2008 were as follows: Couple KL was <a new life through a sincere family and a kindhearted wife who leads to the right road> and couple MN was <saving all by working hard like a servant and a recognition following after misunderstanding and mistrust>. Narratives of the couple EF and IJ whose level of marital well-being was high in 2008 included unresolved issues between a husband and a wife due to communication problems that may put the marriage in danger, whereas narratives of the couple KL and MN whose level of marital well-being was low in 2008 revealed feelings of stability, confidence and hope that may come from the life experiences overcoming adversity and hardship successfully.
This study found 11 themes that penetrate the meanings revealed by the narrative analyses using a narrative inquiry method. These include (1) couple life daunted in the patriarchical cultural space; (2) happiness grown in the hybrid of patriarchy and bilateral kinship; (3) marital conflict resolved by putting oneself in the other's shoes; (4) utilization of support services that provided opportunities to strengthen family memories and identity ; (5) communicating with social world through utilization of support services; (6) lightening the burden of child care and work thanks to the support of the family-in-law and the family of origin; (7) a husband's struggle caused by economic pressure that is kept in secret; (8) an appreciation of the wife who takes in charge of child education; (9) a determination to keep the family together for the sake of children; (10) ambivalent feelings toward a competent wife; finally (11) giving children love that was not experienced during his or her own childhood.