The 'wise mother and good wife' (Hyonmo Yangcho) is a traditional Korean gender ideology that urges women to contribute to the nation through their role as managers of their household and caregivers of their family (Choi, 2009). Gender ideology refers to individuals' attitudes toward gender-related social norms (Levant, 1996). In general, gender ideology measures endorsement and internalization of cultural belief systems about masculinity/femininity and male/female gender, rooted in the structural relationship between the two sexes (Pleck, 1995, p. 19). Derived from Confucianism, the 'wise mother and good wife' ideology has been reshaped over time but continues to persist both in modern Korean society and among first-generation Korean immigrant women in the United States (Choi, Miller, & Wilbur, 2009; Park & Bernstein, 2008). It is important to note that not all Korean or Korean immigrant women in the United States are influenced by Confucian values, seek to fulfill the expectations of the 'wise mother and good wife' ideology, or experience challenges associated with this ideology. As with all cultural values, norms, or expectations, variations exist in terms of how they are internalized and/or practiced by any specific individual within that culture (i.e., a socially constructed or transmitted cluster of practices, ideas, values, norms, goals, artifacts, and physical environment; Cohen, 2009; Fiske, 2002) or society (Morris, Hong, Chiu, & Liu, 2015). However, some previous studies have briefly outlined various challenges faced by Korean immigrants related to this gender ideology including mental health issues (e.g., Min, 2006).
