Separating My Own Identity from My Father: Adaptation Process in Adult Children of Alcoholic ...

248 Pages·2015·11.24 MB·English

Separating My Own Identity from My Father:
Adaptation Process in Adult Children of Alcoholic Fathers in South Korea

Sihyun Park

A dissertation
submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

University of Washington
2015

Reading Committee:
Karen G. Schepp, Chair
Elaine Walsh
Yoriko Kozuki

Program Authorized to Offer Degree:
School of Nursing
©Copyright 2015
Sihyun Park

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University of Washington

Abstract

Separating My Own Identity from My Father:
Adaptation Process in Adult Children of Alcoholic Fathers in South Korea

Sihyun Park

Chair of the Supervisory Committee:
Dr. Karen G. Schepp
School of Nursing

Alcoholism is considered as family disease since it influences not only the patient
him/herself but also his/her whole family. In particular, children of alcoholics are easily exposed
to abusive and violent situations as well as inconsistent parenting and social stigma. In the case
of South Korea, about 18~36% of adults are considered children of alcoholic parents. Despite
this high percentage, limited research has been done in South Korea, and consequently there is a
lack of existing intervention programs for this population. This study, thus, explores their
development trajectory, especially focusing on the process to show their adaptation on their lives.
Grounded Theory methodology is used for this study. Therefore, a theory is generated based on
qualitative data describing the process of adapting. The theory is developed to delineate a
structural psychosocial process of adaptation and critical influences on the process in Korean
adult children of alcoholics from their own perspectives.

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The data were collected from July 24 to October 12, 2014. Face-to-face and telephone
interviews were used for data collection. A total of 20 volunteer participants were recruited, and
each participant was interviewed twice. The interview data was analyzed following the methods
described by Strauss & Corbin (1994) and extended by Lewis & Deal (1995).
As a result, ‘separating my own identity from my father’ appeared as the core category in
adaptation process of Korean children of alcoholic fathers (KCOAs). In order to separate
themselves from their fathers, they passed through six stages: being trapped, awakening,
struggling, blocking, understanding, and separating. Continuous suffering emerged as the
phenomenon of KCOAs’ lives. The phenomenon existed at all stages of adaptation, and it was
ongoing throughout their lives. The suffering derived from having an unstable family life, feeling
shame, getting stressed because of the alcoholic father, realizing the alcoholic father’s negative
influence, being tied up with the alcoholic father, and being tied up with the family. In addition,
five contextual conditions were inferred as the factors influencing the adaptation processes in
KCOAs. These five factors were experiencing family violence, having strength, having a good
maternal relationship, feeling hopeful about the trajectory of the father’s alcohol use, and using a
sense of spirituality related to Confucianism to make sense of the situation.
In conclusion, the study findings show the urgent need for developing interventions and
programs for children of alcoholics in South Korea; culturally specific interventions to provide
information about alcoholism and to prevent future alcoholism as well as regular counseling
programs for children of alcoholics to relieve their psychological distress are needed.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
LIST OF TABLES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------9
DEDICATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------------------11
Statement of the Problem
Purpose and Specific Aims of the Study
Background and Significance of the Problem
Summary
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW --------------------------------------------------------21
Introduction
Children of Alcoholics (COAs)
Intervention and Treatment Programs for Children of Alcoholics
Alcohol Use in the Korean Culture
Korean Families in View of Confucian Culture
Conceptual Framework on Korean Children of Alcoholics
Grounded Theory Methodology
Summary
CHAPTER THREE: METHOD ----------------------------------------------------------------------65
Introduction
Study Design

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Data Collection
Data Analysis
Summary
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------80
Description of the Interview Participants
Study Findings
Exit Interviews
Summary
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION -----------------------------------------119
Model Refinement and Illustration
Discussion of Study Findings
Study Implications
Strengths and Limitations of This Study
Conclusion
REFERENCES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------146
APPENDIX ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------158

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LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NUMBER
FIGURE 1. Alcohol consumption among the population aged 15 and over (OECD report).
FIGURE 2. Factors influencing on Korean children of alcoholic fathers.
FIGURE 3. Flow diagram of the study design.
FIGURE 4. The model of adaptation process in Korean children of alcoholic fathers.

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NUMBER
TABLE 1. Drinking frequency among the Korean population (aged 19 and over).
TABLE 2. Binge drinking among the Korean population (aged 19 and over).
TABLE 3. AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) scores in the Korean population.
TABLE 4. Demographic information of the participants.
TABLE 5. Characteristics of interview participants.
TABLE 6. Adaptation process in Korean COAs: Codes, categories and sub-categories.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to convey my great appreciation to my Chairperson of my Dissertation
Committee, Dr. Karen G. Schepp who has shown great support, trust, and encouragement
throughout my whole doctoral journey. Every step in my doctoral journey was very meaningful
and precious because of her endless support and encouragement. I am also grateful to all my
committee members: Dr. Elaine Walsh, Dr. Yoriko Kozuki, and Dr. Gino Aisenburg. Their
sharing of their expertise and support were huge contributions to my dissertation.
I specially want to thank the Korean adult children of alcoholics whom I met through this
research. It must be very hard for them to talk about their traumatic childhood experiences
related to their alcoholic fathers; however, they were willing to share many stories they had
experienced through their lifetime for this research. I dedicate this research to them.
I would like to thank my family and family-in-law. Especially, I am truly grateful to my
mom, dad and brother Siwan for their endless love, trust and support. Also I am sending my
deepest love to my precious daughter Diane and son Dayun, who had spent most of their time in
a daycare facility or with babysitters throughout my study years. My love towards them was the
strongest inspiration and motivation to study child/adolescent issues, and I deeply thank them for
understanding family separation due to mother’s study. It is hard to put to word to express my
gratitude and love to my husband, who had lived alone for 3 years in South Korea with waiting
for his wife to become a PhD. Special appreciation goes to my friends in UWSON and St.
Andrew Kim Catholic Church, and I especially thank Fr. Yang for his prayers and
encouragement. Also I thank Mr. and Mrs. Kim who cared for my family as if they were their
own family. Importantly, I am greatly thankful to Dr. Kyung-Sook Park and the professors in
Chung-Ang University for their support and encouragement throughout my academic life.
Lastly, I thank God who guided me in this journey. As you’ve mentioned, I will live for
your loved ones who are weak and vulnerable and live in more difficult situations.

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DEDICATION

This is dedicated to all of the Korean children and adolescents, who are struggling to live their
daily lives with terrible fear and anxiety due to parental alcoholism,
and all those who already lived through such lives in their childhood.

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