earticle

영어

This is a qualitative research study examining the perceived life experiences of Korean adolescents living in rural areas of South Korea. The purpose of this study was to explore the question “What is life like for Korean adolescents living in rural areas?” Using Focus Group Interviews, 24 subjects were divided into four focus groups of six and were interviewed by the authors. According to the results of these interviews, five main themes were identified. They are “strength in the face of adversity or inadequate resources,” “lack of individual privacy in the context of small town life,” “social/cultural exclusion due to regional identity/stereotype (both received and projected),” “positive feelings resulting from perceived close connections with nature,” and “construction and maintenance of local community spirit through the sharing of firsthand experiences with peers, family, and local community members.” From subjects’ responses, categorized across these five themes, one common feature was found among all of the adolescents’ reported experiences. This feature was that, despite (and perhaps because of) the relative inadequacy and scarcity of resources in rural Korean communities (compared to urban areas), rural adolescents develop stronger interpersonal ties within their community and stronger collective community identities. Drawing from this, we suggest some practical strategies for social service providers at the local and regional level to support psychological development and positive academic outcomes among adolescents in rural areas

한국어

본 연구는 농촌에 거주하는 청소년의 동네살이에 대한 주관적 경험을 탐구하고 이해하는데 목적이 있다. 이를 위한 연구문제는 ‘농촌지역 거주 청소년의 동네살이 경험의 의미는 무엇인가?’이며, 농촌에 거주하는 청소년 24명을 4집단으로 구성하여 초점집단인터뷰를 진행하였다. 연구결과, 농촌지역에 거주하는 청소년의 동네살이 경험은 5개 주제어로 추출되었으며, '부족과 생산이 공존함', '비밀이 없는 동네에 살고 있음', '다양성 속에서 배척과 배려를 경험함', '느리게 자연 속에서 행복을 배워감', ‘같이 라는 의미를 몸으로 익혀감’으로 나타났다. 이를 통해 농촌지역 거주 청소년의 동네살이 경험은 ‘부족함 속에서 공동체 삶을 터득해 가기’로 도출되었다. 결론에서는 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 농촌 지역에 거주하는 청소년이 건강하게 자랄 수 있도록 돕기 위한 실천적, 정책적 개입 방안을 제시하였다.