Mothers roles in traditional and modern korean families: The consequences for parental practices and adolescent socialization

This paper examines Korean mothers’ roles in the socialization of their adolescent children. First, the issue is analyzed through a historical approach that takes into account the Confucian background of Korean family life. Secondly, we consider concepts and results from recent studies on mothers’ attitudes, parenting styles, and adolescent socialization. Some of the arguments and data are particularly relevant to middle class mothers. We point out that the Confucian influence remains strong in modern South Korea while at the same time mothers responsibilities in parenting and socialization have increased. As a consequence, the relationship between mothers and their adolescent children has become more complex, intense, and unstable. We conclude that the balancing of autonomy and relatedness is the most important developmental task facing mothers and their children. Research underlying this article was supported through a grant from Mokpo National University (2000).