Marital satisfaction and cultural integration of cross-cultural couples : a case study of Indonesian women married to Korean men

Abstract

This research aimed to study the relationship between level of marital satisfaction and cultural integration of Indonesian women who married to Korean men, who are at the time of research living in South Korea. Marital satisfaction is examined based on couples’ conjugal life and three aspects (Korean language fluency, socialization, and living adjustment) are used to examine cultural integration. Result indicated that, demographically, respondents were varied in their province of origin in Indonesia. Most of them were in their thirties, high school degree holder, and mothers of primary school aged children. Two third of respondents were not merely housewives, none of them met their husband through marriage broker like other marriage migrant from Southeast Asia countries. In fact, most of respondents met their Korean husband in Indonesia through individual meeting. Marital satisfaction of respondents based on their conjugal life is considered high as well as their integration into the society in terms of the ability of speaking Korean and socialization. Overall, the level of integration is up to medium level. vThe examination leads to the result that most respondents are satisfied with their marriage and also well-integrate into Korean society. However, level of satisfaction on marriage life is not a direct factor to determine the level of integration. The most important factor actually come from respondents themselves, that is their eager will to integrate into Korean society. This explained why in the study we found respondents with high level satisfaction on her marriage but could not speak Korean well, less interact with Korean people and respondents who are very unsatisfied with her marriage but speak Korean very good, have many Korean friends. The eager will is supported by respondents’ independence. They have freedom to do many things besides housework and could utilize that freedom well. This freedom is likely provided by their Korean husbands who do not restrict their foreign wives from self-actualization.