| Abstract: | The purpose of this preliminary research is to understand the process of life adaptation and responding behavior of foreign brides from Southeastern Asia and China. The number of foreign brides in Taiwan is increasing. Helping foreign brides adjust to living in Taiwan and their ways of responding become influencing their future life and family harmony. Due to the limited reading ability of foreign brides, they could not express their thoughts accurately and completely through questionnaires. Therefore, I used in-depth interviews and snowball rolling methods to get some samples. After I interviewed nine foreign brides from Southeastern Asia and China, I analyzed the data and drew some conclusions. The results were divided into five parts. The first part described the population characteristics of the interviewed foreign brides. The second part included the reasons why foreign brides married overseas foreigners. The majority of foreign brides married to help their families financially, to improve their own living conditions and to mitigate pressure from their ethnic customs. The third part described the characteristics of foreign marriages which included their financial struggles, low social status, rebuilding their social support system, and the traditional expectations of women. The fourth part was about life adaptation. Foreign brides start new families in different and unfamiliar places. They face many daily life problems which include adjusting to a new diet, communication problems, climate differences, social activity limitations, religious differences, and authority issues. They have to make changes and readjust. The final part was to discuss the actions the brides took to adjust to their new environment. Furthermore, we look at their responding behavior through their emotions and problems. My research has some suggestions. First, on coping with a new life, counseling offices can be places for foreign brides to talk about their real problems. Staff members could help them locate social resources and solve their coping problems. Offering twenty-four hour free telephone counseling services is another way to assist foreign brides with coping strategies. Second, schooling, attending conferences and combined activities with churches would improve foreign brides? communication skills and their interaction with society. Third, holding employment and skill training classes can help them gain working opportunities. The last suggestion is to keep track of the factors that influence foreign brides? choices of coping methods. The factors include the length of residence, social support and age. |
