The Korean “Goose Families” Phenomena: Educational Migrants
==============================================================
Wolran Kim
April 2014
Animals and birds migrate in the regular seasons for food availability, habitat, or weather, such as the Monarch butterflies and Canadian geese. Humans also migrate for various reasons, socially, politically, or economically, for reasons such as poverty, jobs, natural disasters, religion, persecution, education, retirement, genocide, war, national security, or terrorism. According to one report, 640 million adults out of the world’s population of 7.1 billion want to migrate if they had a chance to, and the popular places of migration are North America, Europe, Central Asia, and Australia (“640 million people,” 2010).
In 2010, some 214 million people — 3 percent of the world’s population — lived outside their country of origin (“Linking Population,” 2008). People always pursue something better, and this is the true character of human beings. Concerning this trend of migration, there is an interesting phenomenon of educational migrants called the “Goose Families” in South Korea. This research paper will examine the definition, background, reasons for, social issues, and the real picture of the Goose Families.
Goose Families are separated often by the mother and children going abroad, and the father staying in Korea to support them financially. South Korea has the 15th largest economy in the world, and some of the topper forming students; a mass of “education exodus” is taking place. Statistically, there are 7.3 million South Korean residents abroad, out of 50 million in 2013, and it will reach 12 million in 2020. According to a 2010 report, 1.2 million households comprise the goose families and 500,000 of those are Goose Fathers. This is also 10% of the married families (Chow, 2012).
They are sending their pre-college children overseas to be educated at public schools in English speaking countries: U.S. (30%), Asia (21%), Canada (15%), China (12%), Australia (5%), New Zealand (5%), Japan (1%), and others (10%) for 1 to 11 years (Park, 2010). Sending children abroad to boarding schools and universities was an option exclusive to a small group of elite families until 2000, but today, early study abroad programs are widespread among middle class families. The numbers of students who are early studying abroad were 5,000 in 1995. This number increased to 30,000 in 2006, then decreased again to 20,000 in 2009 (Chow, 2012). The distribution of the age group is orderly from the largest group of elementary school students, to middle school students, then high school students.
The term "goose" refers to the seasonal visits that reunite the separated families. "Goose Families" is also a paradoxical and ironic name with a sly dig at the separated family situations, because a goose often symbolizes family discipline and high chastity between spouses. Geese are monogamous, living in permanent pairs throughout the year. This arrangement has become so widespread that in 2004, the phrase "goose family" was added to the Korean dictionary along with “goose father” and “goose mother.”
Some ironical derivative words were created during the 20-year-history of goose fathers; Eagle Daddy is wealthy, and can fly to see his family any time he wants, Penguin Daddy can visit his family only once every few years due to financial issues, Sparrow Daddy has to move to a one bedroom apartment to send his family abroad, and never can visit his family (Yiharo, 2005). Goose Daddy usually visits his family once a year.
In the background of the “Goose Families,” there are several particular reasons for Korean educational and social conditions. The first reason is educational enthusiasm. One report says that the ratio of students who go to college is 71%, and this is much higher than other OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. The top priority of most Korean parents is the education of their children. The average educational expenses account for around 50% of the household economy (Jang, 2014).
The second reason is the increase of English-speaking abilities due to globalization. The most important requirement for employment in Korean society is English. Today, most expensive private schools use English in their curriculum. The third reason is an overheated, competitive educational system. Korean children spend most of their time at schools and private institutes. The fourth reason is the high expenses of private education. Many parents prefer studying abroad programs for their children due to it being the same cost between domestic and abroad. The fifth reason is parents’ prejudice.
Students’ parents blame the environment and educational system for their children’s low achievements, and choose the breakthrough of studying abroad. The last reason is Korean Confucianism, and this is an interesting point. In at least some of the cases, a South Korean mother will choose to live abroad with her children with the additional reason of avoiding her mother-in-law, with whom she has a historically stressful relationship (Kang, 2014).
In a survey, people answered reasons for why they became goose families as for diverse experiences (48%), English capability (21%), better education system (11%), desires of children (9%), and better job opportunities in the future (4%). The average monthly amount of remittance is from $3,000 to $7,000, and the yearly cost of early studying abroad in South Korea is over two trillion dollars. As a result, educational desires ultimately destroy basic family systems (Park, 2010).
The phenomena of the goose families create various social issues, physical and psychological disorders of goose fathers such as bad nutritive condition (80%), depression (70%), alcoholism, prostitution, and even suicide. Goose fathers spend their time without their families for hobbies (23%), TV (22%), alcohol (20%), exercise (20%), and other (15%) (Kang, 2014). Goose mothers also struggle to adjust to a new language and culture while trying to take on “the father’s role.” Their overseas affairs become social issues.
There are serious domestic tragedies due to long term separations such as affairs, divorce, and financial crisis.
The Goose family is not seen as a case of a “brain drain,” but rather a beneficial “brain gain” for the future of the country. Education comes with a price everywhere, and the increasing frequency of Korean Goose families is one of the many examples of the great lengths parents are willing to take for their children’s future.
According to a diagnostic report, 30% of children succeed in their academic results, and some say it is fewer than 10% (Kang, 2014). Then, what is the criterion for success? It could be a better job, higher salary, or feeling of happiness. However, in the meaning of the term “family,” long-term separation could not be considered to be the concept of family anymore. Is the future of the children as valuable as the dissolution of a family system?
Yangsuk Choe, who wrote the first doctorate treatise on the Goose families in 2005, expresses interesting opinions in the book, Early Studying Abroad / Family and Goose Fathers. According to her view, the sacrificing of matrimonial relationships is an inhuman act, and inhuman suffering for a long time is difficult to justify without humanized reason. Many Koreans are ready for an inhuman sacrifice and pay the price for success in life without any trouble. The phenomena of the Goose families are from the will to maintain and follow the present system despite inhuman costs, rather than the need for reform of a wrong system such as education.
The resistance of Careerism and Gold-Medalism can be possible through following the principle worthy of human life. Choe sees that the Goose Families phenomena will increase without overcoming a standard of value that is the precedence of my child. This sense of value justifies the separation of family and the absence of a father role. Choe does not see the Goose families phenomena as only an educational issue; rather, it is the result from complex interaction of various negative factors of the Korean national character. Korean society has trauma from the Japanese colonial days for 36 years and the Korean War. Passing these sufferings and holding grudges, Koreans easily feel a sense of inferiority and shame with a distorted mentality. From this background, Koreans are easy to be controlled by a uniform paradigm (Kim, 2005).
In Choe’s in-depth interviews, most of the Goose fathers regret their family separations. The 14 out of 20 interviewees replied that they just continue their present life because it is impossible to make their families come back to Korea in the middle of an educational plan overseas (Kim, 2005). They are thrown into confusion between the obligation of a father and the success of their children. The core of the Goose family’s problem eventually is a desperate attempt to be recognized in society. Koreans pay the tragic cost of family separations to be beneficiaries from absolute recognition toward English speakers despite the sacrifice being much greater than the reward. In general, the opinion on the Goose families is negative.
Domestic specialists emphasize the improvement of the public education system, transitions of educational values of parents, and social care for the Goose fathers to solve the Goose families’ problems. Unusual Korean educational enthusiasm reached the peak through the Goose families phenomena. The wonderland story of Koreans, whose priority is always their children, is difficult to understand for foreigners. Korean parents think of their children as their other selves; therefore they become unhappy from the binding relationship. This child-centered view is also dangerous to children who may think that the world works based on selfishness. Korea’s over-competitive society, driven by academic backgrounds, is not less desperate than the survival world of the animal kingdom. Excessive rivalry is always dangerous and can destroy humanity as well.
The Goose family is a tragedy left behind by the hard society of careerism. Family dissolution causes losing all experiences of impressive and touching moments in family life. The Goose families phenomena remind me of a common saying, “Enjoy the small things in life for one day you might look back and realize they were the big things.”
==============================================================
Wolran Kim
April 2014
Animals and birds migrate in the regular seasons for food availability, habitat, or weather, such as the Monarch butterflies and Canadian geese. Humans also migrate for various reasons, socially, politically, or economically, for reasons such as poverty, jobs, natural disasters, religion, persecution, education, retirement, genocide, war, national security, or terrorism. According to one report, 640 million adults out of the world’s population of 7.1 billion want to migrate if they had a chance to, and the popular places of migration are North America, Europe, Central Asia, and Australia (“640 million people,” 2010).
In 2010, some 214 million people — 3 percent of the world’s population — lived outside their country of origin (“Linking Population,” 2008). People always pursue something better, and this is the true character of human beings. Concerning this trend of migration, there is an interesting phenomenon of educational migrants called the “Goose Families” in South Korea. This research paper will examine the definition, background, reasons for, social issues, and the real picture of the Goose Families.
Goose Families are separated often by the mother and children going abroad, and the father staying in Korea to support them financially. South Korea has the 15th largest economy in the world, and some of the topper forming students; a mass of “education exodus” is taking place. Statistically, there are 7.3 million South Korean residents abroad, out of 50 million in 2013, and it will reach 12 million in 2020. According to a 2010 report, 1.2 million households comprise the goose families and 500,000 of those are Goose Fathers. This is also 10% of the married families (Chow, 2012).
They are sending their pre-college children overseas to be educated at public schools in English speaking countries: U.S. (30%), Asia (21%), Canada (15%), China (12%), Australia (5%), New Zealand (5%), Japan (1%), and others (10%) for 1 to 11 years (Park, 2010). Sending children abroad to boarding schools and universities was an option exclusive to a small group of elite families until 2000, but today, early study abroad programs are widespread among middle class families. The numbers of students who are early studying abroad were 5,000 in 1995. This number increased to 30,000 in 2006, then decreased again to 20,000 in 2009 (Chow, 2012). The distribution of the age group is orderly from the largest group of elementary school students, to middle school students, then high school students.
The term "goose" refers to the seasonal visits that reunite the separated families. "Goose Families" is also a paradoxical and ironic name with a sly dig at the separated family situations, because a goose often symbolizes family discipline and high chastity between spouses. Geese are monogamous, living in permanent pairs throughout the year. This arrangement has become so widespread that in 2004, the phrase "goose family" was added to the Korean dictionary along with “goose father” and “goose mother.”
Some ironical derivative words were created during the 20-year-history of goose fathers; Eagle Daddy is wealthy, and can fly to see his family any time he wants, Penguin Daddy can visit his family only once every few years due to financial issues, Sparrow Daddy has to move to a one bedroom apartment to send his family abroad, and never can visit his family (Yiharo, 2005). Goose Daddy usually visits his family once a year.
In the background of the “Goose Families,” there are several particular reasons for Korean educational and social conditions. The first reason is educational enthusiasm. One report says that the ratio of students who go to college is 71%, and this is much higher than other OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. The top priority of most Korean parents is the education of their children. The average educational expenses account for around 50% of the household economy (Jang, 2014).
The second reason is the increase of English-speaking abilities due to globalization. The most important requirement for employment in Korean society is English. Today, most expensive private schools use English in their curriculum. The third reason is an overheated, competitive educational system. Korean children spend most of their time at schools and private institutes. The fourth reason is the high expenses of private education. Many parents prefer studying abroad programs for their children due to it being the same cost between domestic and abroad. The fifth reason is parents’ prejudice.
Students’ parents blame the environment and educational system for their children’s low achievements, and choose the breakthrough of studying abroad. The last reason is Korean Confucianism, and this is an interesting point. In at least some of the cases, a South Korean mother will choose to live abroad with her children with the additional reason of avoiding her mother-in-law, with whom she has a historically stressful relationship (Kang, 2014).
In a survey, people answered reasons for why they became goose families as for diverse experiences (48%), English capability (21%), better education system (11%), desires of children (9%), and better job opportunities in the future (4%). The average monthly amount of remittance is from $3,000 to $7,000, and the yearly cost of early studying abroad in South Korea is over two trillion dollars. As a result, educational desires ultimately destroy basic family systems (Park, 2010).
The phenomena of the goose families create various social issues, physical and psychological disorders of goose fathers such as bad nutritive condition (80%), depression (70%), alcoholism, prostitution, and even suicide. Goose fathers spend their time without their families for hobbies (23%), TV (22%), alcohol (20%), exercise (20%), and other (15%) (Kang, 2014). Goose mothers also struggle to adjust to a new language and culture while trying to take on “the father’s role.” Their overseas affairs become social issues.
There are serious domestic tragedies due to long term separations such as affairs, divorce, and financial crisis.
The Goose family is not seen as a case of a “brain drain,” but rather a beneficial “brain gain” for the future of the country. Education comes with a price everywhere, and the increasing frequency of Korean Goose families is one of the many examples of the great lengths parents are willing to take for their children’s future.
According to a diagnostic report, 30% of children succeed in their academic results, and some say it is fewer than 10% (Kang, 2014). Then, what is the criterion for success? It could be a better job, higher salary, or feeling of happiness. However, in the meaning of the term “family,” long-term separation could not be considered to be the concept of family anymore. Is the future of the children as valuable as the dissolution of a family system?
Yangsuk Choe, who wrote the first doctorate treatise on the Goose families in 2005, expresses interesting opinions in the book, Early Studying Abroad / Family and Goose Fathers. According to her view, the sacrificing of matrimonial relationships is an inhuman act, and inhuman suffering for a long time is difficult to justify without humanized reason. Many Koreans are ready for an inhuman sacrifice and pay the price for success in life without any trouble. The phenomena of the Goose families are from the will to maintain and follow the present system despite inhuman costs, rather than the need for reform of a wrong system such as education.
The resistance of Careerism and Gold-Medalism can be possible through following the principle worthy of human life. Choe sees that the Goose Families phenomena will increase without overcoming a standard of value that is the precedence of my child. This sense of value justifies the separation of family and the absence of a father role. Choe does not see the Goose families phenomena as only an educational issue; rather, it is the result from complex interaction of various negative factors of the Korean national character. Korean society has trauma from the Japanese colonial days for 36 years and the Korean War. Passing these sufferings and holding grudges, Koreans easily feel a sense of inferiority and shame with a distorted mentality. From this background, Koreans are easy to be controlled by a uniform paradigm (Kim, 2005).
In Choe’s in-depth interviews, most of the Goose fathers regret their family separations. The 14 out of 20 interviewees replied that they just continue their present life because it is impossible to make their families come back to Korea in the middle of an educational plan overseas (Kim, 2005). They are thrown into confusion between the obligation of a father and the success of their children. The core of the Goose family’s problem eventually is a desperate attempt to be recognized in society. Koreans pay the tragic cost of family separations to be beneficiaries from absolute recognition toward English speakers despite the sacrifice being much greater than the reward. In general, the opinion on the Goose families is negative.
Domestic specialists emphasize the improvement of the public education system, transitions of educational values of parents, and social care for the Goose fathers to solve the Goose families’ problems. Unusual Korean educational enthusiasm reached the peak through the Goose families phenomena. The wonderland story of Koreans, whose priority is always their children, is difficult to understand for foreigners. Korean parents think of their children as their other selves; therefore they become unhappy from the binding relationship. This child-centered view is also dangerous to children who may think that the world works based on selfishness. Korea’s over-competitive society, driven by academic backgrounds, is not less desperate than the survival world of the animal kingdom. Excessive rivalry is always dangerous and can destroy humanity as well.
The Goose family is a tragedy left behind by the hard society of careerism. Family dissolution causes losing all experiences of impressive and touching moments in family life. The Goose families phenomena remind me of a common saying, “Enjoy the small things in life for one day you might look back and realize they were the big things.”