A contrast of mothering behaviors in women from Korea and the United States.

In both the United States and Korea, culture heavily influences a mother's behavior toward her infant. Differences between these two cultures are explored, based on the author's experiences and work in both environments. This comparison includes a number of points of departure. The American culture encourages autonomous and independent behaviors from infants, whereas in the Korean culture, mothers tend to view infants as passive and dependent. American mothering is individually fashioned and relies on the expertise of health care providers. Conversely, the Korean culture is highly ritualistic, so mothering is molded more by societal rules than by individual design, and professional advice is less sought for guidance than is folklore information. American mothers tend to rear their infants in a nuclear family setting, whereas Korean mothers rear their infants in an extended family or at least in a highly social environment. Implications for American nurses who provide perinatal care for Korean immigrant women are discussed.