Social Plight of Mixed Children in South Korea
Social Plight of Mixed Children in South Korea
Introduction
Sociological theories and principles are aimed at ensuring that different sociological phenomena are understandable in society. Sociological theories and principles are essential in ensuring different elements such as family units, relationships, and behavioral tendencies are effectively managed. Sociological theories are essential in explaining how current issues such as family orientations and family developments are being handled in Asia. Therefore, the essence of this paper will be to ensure that a clear understanding of Asian women is provided.
Article Review
In his article, Fackler (2009) explains the current increase of mixed children in South Korea. Over the past few years, nursing homes and maternity health care centers have been filled with women giving birth to children of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Most of these children have South Korean fathers, but their mothers hail from different countries in Asia such as India, Vietnam, and China among others. The increase in mixed children has mostly been felt in rural areas where native South Korean women have left to pursue education and careers in the developed cities of South Korea. The article explains that the influx of these Asian women has also been heightened by the fact that there are fewer women to marry due to the preference of male children in these rural areas.
The main problem experienced by these families is prejudice from native South Korean families. Native South Koreans are still embedded in homogeneity, therefore finding it difficult to accept these children into the society. As a result, families experience difficulty in surviving in South Korea; especially with their children being mocked and insulted because of their backgrounds. There percentage of school drop-outs among mixed children is more than that of native South Korean children. These children are also susceptible to abuse and bullying in schools. The society has found it difficult to accept these children as part of their cultural present and future.
Analysis of Sociological Issues from the Article
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It is evident that the society has found it hard to accept mixed children into their social structures. The society has also found it hard to welcome Asian women as they are considered to be the cause of the increase in mixed children in South Korea. These issues are best explained using the conflict theory. The conflict theory suggests that society is always undergoing the change that enhances the competitive nature of social life. Individuals in society are in constant competition over the resources available to the community (Dasgupta & Driskell, 2007). This explains why Asian women would leave their countries to come to South Korea. Most of these women are usually in the search for better lifestyles due to competition for resources in their original countries. However, when they arrive in South Korea, they are faced with the same conflicts in terms of competition for social life resources. Once they get children, their children are at a bigger risk of feeling the effects of competition in their life as they suffer from bullying and abuse from South Korean natives. Therefore, the inequality shown in the South Korean society creates bigger conflict for resources that result in inevitable social change.
The functionalist perspective can also be used to explain the situation in South Korea. The functionalist perspective describes the roles and functions of social institutions in fulfilling societal and individual needs (Dasgupta & Driskell, 2007). Social institutions should ensure that there is stability in the society that will be able to sustain societal change and dynamism. Therefore, from a functionalist perspective, the social institutions such as governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations among others have failed in establishing means of ensuring native South Koreans accept heterogeneity in their society. Asian women would leave their homes to get married to South Korean men so that their status in society would be advanced. However, challenges such as societal rejection affect them once they arrive in South Korea. They are faced with more challenges when they give birth to children of mixed ethnicities. Societal rejection means that these women are outcasts. The children face the effects of their mothers being outcasts.
The failure of social institutions to ensure that education and awareness have been enhanced in rural South Korea has facilitated the challenges that these women face. The government has not paid full attention to the situation and as such made these children vulnerable to unjust acts of societal conflicts in rural South Korea.
In his paper, Cho (2007) explains the crisis in education that many mixed children have become accustomed to. He describes the issues and concerns that many parents have in relation to violence, bullying, underperforming and drop-out rates of these children. The psychological effects of these actions are also evident as many of these children either become very aggressive or withdrawn in the society. Additionally, these issues in South Korea have become one of the primary objectives of the South Korean government. As Kim (2013) explains, the government is working on establishing dual citizenship that will enable the proper identification of mixed children as well as offer them an opportunity to have dual citizenship. This initiative is also aimed at enabling the mothers of these children to become recognized citizens of South Korea. This is important as it will reduce cases of inequality and increase social acceptance among native South Koreans.
Conclusion
In my opinion, education and creating awareness among native South Koreans is the most important element in dealing with societal conflicts raised by the increase of mixed children in South Korea. Therefore, South Korean natives will be empowered and, as a result, they will be able to accept the foreign wives for South Korean farmers. Accepting these women will reduce the social injustice activities and challenges that they experience. Most importantly, as Cho (2007) suggests, it will create conducive learning environments for children of mixed ethnicities.
