This qualitative research examined Korean professional
women’s work and family experience in Korea and in the U.S. Fourteen in-depth
interviews were conducted; seven Korean immigrant women with children in the
U.S. and seven Korean women with children in Korea. Immigrant status and
occupational status are anchored to examine (a) how Korean women with children
in a profession perceive their accumulated roles (i.e., conflict or
enrichment); (b) how professional women’s work influences families and vice
versa; and (c) how work-family experiences are different in the U.S. and in
Korea. The effort to keep work-family balance and challenges, work environment
differences between U.S. and Korea, language barriers, women’s self-confidence,
and feeling of wholeness emerged as central themes. Work-family policies will
be discussed.
