Reclaiming the self: How Korean housewives make meaning of their experience of re-entering higher education

Well-educated Korean women are returning to higher education in unprecedented numbers with the motivation of recovering their personal identity. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the ways in which this experience is meaningful to these re-entry women. Indepth interviews were conducted with 13 Korean full-time housewives aged 25 to 45 who already had a bachelor's degree but enrolled at university. The constant comparative method was employed for data analysis. The major findings of this study were that the re-entry experiences were meaningful for the participants in that they re-established themselves as independent individuals, dispelled a sense of isolation, obtained a sense of accomplishment, gained recognition and structured their everyday lives. These experiences are perceived as meaningful because attending university addressed the sources of discontent in their lives.