Korean-American Family Essay

A brief review of the literature reveals the following. First, the parent-child relationship of Korean American families is greatly influenced by elements of Korean culture. According to the literature on the subject, the Confucian values present in traditional Korean culture emphasize family unity and collectivism (Park 2009). Others explain that within Confucianism, the family is viewed as the extension of the self, creating a “strong in-group identity” within the Korean families (Kim & Wolpin 2008:109). These values are carried over into the Korean American families, as well as the importance of maintaining hierarchical relationships, such as the authority of fathers and children’s obedience to parents (Kim & Wolpin 2008). Furthermore, Kim (2005) recognizes that the Korean patriarchal family system and traditional gender roles are often expressed in Korean American homes. Literature also identifies language as a significant cultural influence in Korean American families. Kim

Using Baumrind’s framework of parenting styles, Kim (2002) recognizes that the authoritarian style, also called “the Korean way,” is greatly reflective of Korean American parental behavior. Due to the influence of the American host culture, however, Kim and Chung (2003) argue that the authoritative style is the most pervasive of the three parenting behaviors among Korean American parents. Their findings indicate the authoritarian parenting style as the second most common, whereas permissive behaviors are significantly less prominent. Although Korean children view strict parental behaviors as an expression of acceptance and love, Korean American adolescents perceive higher parental control as a sign of disapproval and rejection (Kim 2005). This is explained by the exposure and influence of American culture, which more often mirrors the permissive parenting style (Kim