귀농‧귀촌여성의 농촌생활 경험 분석: 진안지역 사례

Abstract

As a growing number of people turn to farming or farm villages, the phenomenon draws extensive social and policy-based attention. However, as only little attention is drawn to women who have turned to farming or farm villages, their actual status, the difficulties they face and policy-related demands have not been identified. This study has analyzed the reasons why such women have turned to farming or farm villages, as well as their identity, education of their children, economic activities and formation of relationships with fellow villagers, through in-depth interviews with women who have done so in Jinan, The objectives of this analysis are to draw a picture of the various aspects of their experience in farm villages, and thus to identify their satisfaction levels for living there and their difficulties, as well as the activities and roles required for their successful settlement and the development of these villages. Answers indicate that these women turned to farming or farm village because of a desire to provide a better educational environment for their children; skepticism about their jobs and urban lives; interest in ecology and nature; yearning for a rural life; happiness for the family; and a desire for a better life. They strove to find new lifestyles and new value systems in farm villages. They saw themselves not as people who “turned to farming or farm village” but as those who “moved” from a city to a 귀농 ‧귀촌여성의 농촌생활 경험 분석: 진안지역 사례 297farm village. Most of them are positive about raising their children in farm villages. They are looking for opportunities to engage in activities other than farming. Most of the interviewees said that they felt uncomfortable or there was possibility of being at odds with local villagers when such villagers excessively paid attention to or interfered with their efforts to settle in the village. However, they conceded that they should approach such issues from the viewpoints of the culture or sentiment in the farm village. It is necessary to approach the issue of turning to farming or farm village by focusing on the “individual” - whether it is a husband or a wife – rather than each “household.” This is because men and women –even if they have turned to farming or farm village together as a family – face different situations and difficulties. In order for the women who have turned to farming or farm village to successfully settle down in farm villages and to contribute to the rural community, more opportunities should be provided for them to show their ability and talents in the rural community, and the culture of the rural community should change so that women can make their voices heard.