Changes in Mothering of Korean Women : Based on Narrative Interview Data

Abstract

The study purposes to depict the transition of women's mothering over the last half century in Korea. The data of this article were collected through narrative interviews on Korean women's mothering experiences and the memories of their mother's lives. They include life histories of 38 people of diverse age groups. The article examines the contents and styles of their talks and explores changes in Korean mothering. The women in the above 60 age group tend to talk about a mothering that is comprised of feeding, clothing and schooling mostly. Mothering by highly educated women in their 50s could be described as a kind of 'intensive mothering' that is characterized by strong attachment and intensive emotional labor. The trend of 'intensive mothering' becomes to be a general picture in the mothering of women in their 40s. However, mothering of women in their 30s seems to be divided two parts. Some people in their 30s show an anti-direction trend to the preexisting 'intensive mothering,' while others show a more intensive mothering than the older age groups. Based on the results of my analysis, I argue that mothering in Korea has begun to display tendencies of a 'backlash against intensive mothering.'