Author: Jinsuk Park

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13:

In the American context, countless books have been written and research conducted on divorce. But, there are few studies about divorce that are focused on Korean immigrants in the United States. Thus, beginning with an examiniation of the social, historical, and cultural contexts of Korean immigrant families in the United States, this study reviews the typical perspective of Korean Christians on the family. The majority of Korean immigrant churches have maintained a conservative theology on marriage and divorce. According to their beliefs, most Korean immigrant churches and their pastoral caregivers have been ignorant of the needs of the divorced and their families, even if they are able to offer effective interventions to those who are in the crisis of divorce. One of the major reasons for this is because Korean immigrants maintain Korean Confucian values and attitudes on family. Most Korean families have strong ties and put family matters first over individual members' desires. Therefore, the concept of uri (we-ness), or "togetherness" is discussed in some depth in this dissertation since uri reflects the characteristics of Korean collectivism and the Korean concept of the self. And, the ways people in Korean culture try to bring about harmony with the group are also explored. Individuals are encouraged to maintain their chemyeon (Korean social face) in public, which is a way of saving the family's face and further preserving social harmony. Thus, the dissolution of marriage is viewed as very negative since it is seen as a failure and a shameful event. In this process, divorcing or divorced Korean immigrants' experiences are not recognized socially and culturally, and their grief is easily denied, ignored, or hidden to some extent. The literature on divorce and grief is used to explore how divorce can be considered as a traumatic event that impacts all dimensions of the divorced couple and their family's life. Yet, to people in Korean culture, divorce can cause a loss of hope through their loss of a sense of belongingness and interconnection as well as emotional support. The author asks whether humans can be hopeful in the midst of despair and examines hope that can ease pain and facilitate the grieving process in the light of theological understanding, focusing on the work of Jurgen Moltmann supplemented by that of Donald Capps and Andrew Lester. The workshop was specifically designed and presented for the purpose of achieving two objectives: first, to enhance the general understanding of the needs of divorced individuals and their families and second, to suggest appropriate caregiving responses to families experiencing divorce. The workshop was held on April 23, 2015, and six Korean pastoral caregivers participated. The workshop had three parts: brainstorming, presentation, and group discussion. To see if the objectives of the project were met and to evaluate the content of the project, one-on-one interview using a semistructured questionnaire were conducted. A summar and analysis of the participants' assessments of the workshop is provided. The concluding section of the dissertation addresses what the author learned from the process of the research and the project. The final chapter provides a summary of the disseration, discussion of its limitations, and suggestions for future research.