The impact of Korean Confucianism on motherhood in the novel please look after mom

Abstract

Motherhood in Korean society is greatly influenced by the Confucian ideology, particularly the Analects on Women which clearly impose specific duties of mothers which are mostly described as "other-oriented". Although good virtues of a mother are fostered, great sacrifice is much needed to keep up with the ideal mother role. Moreover, since care-giving motherhood is seen as normal duty under Korean Confucianism, self-sacrifice of mother is often ignored. For this study, the type of data analysis applied was descriptive research which involved gathering data from novel Please Look After Mom and other sources such as journals and articles in order to draw out an answer to the research questions. Content analysis was the method used to study the words, phrases and lines from the texts and literary devices to determine the impact of Korean Confucianism on motherhood. As part of the research outcome, the researcher then Proposed a value-oriented program that will be conducted in Korea in order to educate Korean children to look after their aging parents. This study determined the impact of Korean Confucianism on Motherhood. Specifically, the researcher intended to answer the following questions:1. What are the manifestations of Korean Confucianism on the state of motherhood? 2. What are the changing roles of mothers? 3. What is the state of motherhood as seen in today's Korean society? The following statements express the findings of this study: 1. a. The manifestations of Korean Confucianism depicted through the characters in the story mostly reflect good virtues of a mother and intensive mothering. b. Based on the plot, the researcher was able to identify the acceptance of pre- established roles and the drawbacks of Korean Confucianism on motherhood such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, poor physical health and discrimination. c. Based on point of view, motherhood entails an "other-oriented" role. 2. In modern Korean society, there are already mothers who work outside the home. 3. The burdens of house chores, maintenance of children's education, and technological advancement still rest on the shoulders of working mothers. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher concluded the following: 1. Under Korean Confucianism, there is a heavy emphasis on the identity of women as mothers, but living up to an "ideal" mother may take a toll on their health and self-esteem. 2. The changing roles of women in modern Korean society are not really pronounced because the maintenance of the household and management of children's education still remain their responsibility even if they work outside the home. 3. In modern society, there are more working mothers but still do the domestic chores and juggle work and family life. Based on the conclusions stated above, the following recommendations were drawn: 1. Mothers in Korea should not totally live according to the concepts of Korean Confucianism . They should also learn how to balance their responsibilities between self and family. 2. Working mothers may utilize work from home set-up since it is the trend nowadays. 3. There should be sufficient programs for mothers such as more day care centers where working mothers may enroll their children and educational programs for fathers that would train them to do domestic chores in order for mot hers to help balance work and family responsibilities. 4. A value- oriented program will be conducted in Korea in order to enlighten Korean children to take care of their old parents.