Islanders Come Back to the Mainland: Social Identity in the People of Jeju in Mainland Korea

Abstract

This study investigates the social identity and self-efficacy of a group of people from Jeju who have come to the mainland Korean peninsula for their university education. Two research questions guided this study: (a) how do the people of Jeju describe their social identity in the mainland Korean peninsula, particularly as university students in South Korean university environments, and (b) how do the people of Jeju describe their challenges and problems due to their unique Jeju dialects and sociocultural practices, particularly as university students in South Korean university environments. Based on a general inductive approach, 16 participants were invited. The findings indicated (a) I am a South Korean citizen, (b) my spoken language and living style, and (c) social stigma and discrimination as the primary themes. The participants indicated that due to the islandness of Jeju, they had developed their self-identity as people of Jeju and South Korean citizens, but not mainland Korean from the Korean peninsula. Although not all participants spoke fluent Jeju dialect and followed the traditional local religion in Jeju, their sociocultural development and customs played significant roles in their self-identity, self-efficacy, and sense-making processes, as people of Jeju.