An Exploration of Korean traditional parenting virtues among Korean-American parents and the impact of the Ottuki parenting program

The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of 12 Korean traditional parenting virtues (KTPV), a set of cultural norms from ancient Korea guiding how parents ought to love and discipline their children, among Korean-American immigrant (KA) parents. This study examined 1) how KA parents practice KTPV, 2) which virtues KA parents desire to develop, and 3) the changes in the application of KTPV after receiving the Ottuki Parenting Program (OPP). The first phase of the study (Study 1) was a community needs assessment with 22 KA parents (13 Korean Speaking and 9 English Speaking) living in the greater Seattle area. Parents participated in focus group interviews and completed surveys. Results showed that both Korean-speaking parents and English-speaking parents had common perceptions of self-cultivation, responsibility, sacrifice, and respect. However, differences were noted in 8 of 12 virtues including example, patience, authority, attention, teaching, generosity, trust, and devotion. Korean-speaking parents desired to develop example, and generosity, authoritative while English-speaking parents desired to develop example. These findings led to the development of the Ottuki Parenting Program (OPP) for Korean-speaking parents. In study 2, 57 Korean-speaking parents participated in the OPP intervention. Post-intervention results showed a significant increase in the practice of self-cultivation, devotion, patience, authority, respect, and generosity among participants. These findings provide guidance for developing, implementing, and adapting parenting programs for immigrant families and demonstrate the importance of parenting programs for immigrant families to decrease disparity in parenting practices and promote equity in early childhood development.