The Multimodal Representation of Female Marriage Immigrants in South Korea : What Stories do Textbooks Tell?

International marriages in Korean society have been constantly on the rise, resulting in an influx of immigrants by marriage to this country with the largest percentages of immigrants coming from China, Vietnam, and Japan (Kim and Kim, 2012). The increase in the number of marriage immigrants has spurred the establishment of various language programs to better prepare these people to adjust to Korean culture. Such programs use a series of textbooks that aim to better help the intercultural communication between marriage immigrants and other Koreans as they concentrate on the notions of linguistic and cultural similarities and differences, thereby highlighting the diverse aspects in intercultural encounters.

The present study examines a series of textbooks used at these government-affiliated organizations nationwide. The textbooks introduced to marriage immigrants display a variety of images and employ thematic plotlines guided by a number of main characters. Using a multimodal analysis of narratives and images, the study analyzes how different culturally-bound assumptions and expectations are both overtly and covertly maintained, negotiated, and reinforced through textual and visual narratives (Jewitt, 2009; Kress, 2009; Kress and van Leeuwen 2002, 2006). Through the multimodal approach to analysis, the study attempts to outline a general orientation toward marriage immigrants in South Korea and uncover the underlying beliefs, attitudes, and societal ideologies presented through the textbooks. The findings suggest that t, as the textbook level advances, the content and vocabulary level become more complex, though the recurring themes and repeated expectations toward these female immigrants remain the same, mainly conservative culturally-bounded gender identities. The study reports the contradictions and tensions found in the construction of female identity through images and narratives. The findings carry significance insofar as such direct and indirect positioning of female identity may strengthen the gender roles and further contribute to potential tension in the real world.