This course examines the transformation of Korean society beginning around the turn of the 20th century to contemporary times. In particular, it explores how shifting categories of masculinity, and by contrast, femininity have impacted upon, and in turn been influenced by social, cultural, and political change. Using multiple disciplinary lenses, we will critically examine how gender intersects with political, social, and economic developments starting with the Confucianization of Korean society during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) up to the contemporary moment of globalization and neoliberal reform. The class will draw on a variety of topics such as traditional views of women, religion, race, class, education, patriarchy, sexuality, imperialism, modernity, war, globalization, the diaspora, among others. Special attention will be placed on the historical, transnational and transdisciplinary connections.
2.2 Changed Family Structure and Singletons
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From the course by Yonsei University
Gender, Family, and Social Change in Contemporary South Korea
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From the lesson
The (Un)making of the Modern Family
Introduction to the strategically gendered division of role in making modern Korean families and contemporary changes in the perception of marriage and family in Korea.
Meet the Instructors
Hyun Mee KimProfessor
Department of Cultural Anthropology
Yoo Theodore JunProfessor
College of Liberal Arts
For our next lesson for this week, the changing and
changed structure of Korean families will be examined.
In South Korea, the crisis of the family and
low birth rates have been important themes over various social agendas since 1990s.
For one, family structure has become simpler.
The graph on my right shows 1 generation family in blue,
2 generation in orange, 3 in gray, and 4 in yellow.
Here, the number of couples without a child increased to 23%,
while the nuclear family is in decline.
Three or
more multi-generation families consists less than 10% of families in Korea.
One of the reasons behind this trend is the changed views on what marriage and
family is.
In the old times, Korea was once called ‘the Marrying Country’ by those
visiting the country in the late 19th century or the early 20th century.
And please refer to Laurel Kendall's book for understanding the traditional and
contemporary Korean society and its view on marriage.
In the eyes of foreign missionaries and travelers,
marriage in the old Korean system was almost as certain as death.
According to them, there's not one spinster in the entire kingdom.
A seven-year-old boy would marry following his parents’ wishes and
everything from hairstyle to social position would change with marriage.
For men, marriage was the only rite of passage into the adulthood.
Marriage changed individual and families' social position and reputation.
It was one of the most important events for the whole village and family.
The only way for man to fulfill their duty of filial piety was through having sons,
who would succeed a patrilineal family descent.
Women were not exempt from this responsibility of marriage.
Once they passed the proper age for marriage,
they were often heavily criticized and mocked at
or become victims of rumors that explained their inability to marry.
Those who were married but did not or
could not have children were also exposed to public condemnation.
In the old Korean society,
marriage functioned as a social mechanism that normalizes both men and women.
However, the marriage as a natural rite of passage faced great shift after 1990s.
As a case in point, there is the rise in the number of a singletons.
According to the 2015 report by Korean Statistics Office,
the single person household comprises 27.2% of total households in Korea.
This means almost one out of three households in Korea
is a single person household.
Unlike the past, being single is becoming less of a stigma.
While the trend is relatively still new, singletons in Korea are rather
celebrated as being independent and self-appreciating.
There are dramas and TV series about single lifestyles such as drinking,
eating, traveling, and living alone.
The trend can be read in statistics as well.
More number of young Koreans choose to marry later than before.
This graph, where women are indicated in blue and men in orange, shows the trend.
In 1990s, women married around 25 years of age.
However, after year 2000, both men and women began to marry late.
Now, both are marrying around their early 30s.
Not only are they marrying late, they are almost marrying less and unmarrying more.
Number of marriages continues to show a downward trend,
while number of divorces is sustained in high rate.
While the trend may not be unfamiliar to today's young Koreans,
it is indeed a new and
unique one, considering the aforementioned tradition in Korean society.
Why are young people unwilling to marry?
More importantly, why are more women refusing to marry?
One of the fundamental causes of conflict within the
modern middle class households in Korea is the fixed gender role,
which cannot reflect the realities of a dual income household.
The traditional expectation imposed on women as the primary caregiver and
education manager continues, regarded
as women's economic participation as wage earners.
After 1997 financial crisis, which Koreans often call ‘the IMF Crisis’,
middle class men's material foundation to be the family breadwinner weakened.
This led to a crisis in middle class nuclear families and
an increase in divorce.
Women's contribution in public economic realm began to be emphasized without
the compromise or democratization in domestic division of labor.
As we mentioned in the previous lesson, the role of Manager Moms imposed on
women is full-time, or more like a 24-hour occupation.
Despite a diverse capacity and aspirations of women in the Korean society,
women's role is still evaluate by their motherhood.
Modern Korean women are refusing this monotypical demand and
evaluation of their society.
These changes left women with not much choice.
Women would delay marriage or childbirth to balance work and family
or choose not to have not to marry for her career and economic independence.
Women with higher educational backgrounds now put more priority in
career than marriage.
More women give birth late.
The average age of mothers who experienced first births are 31 today,
compared to 26.5 in 20 years ago.
And fertility rate has dwindled to 1.24%,
despite the Korean government's policies to encourage fertility and childbearing.
129 surveys that asked their reason behind not having more children,
48% of working mothers answered that economic burden for
childcare and education is too great.
While 33% answered that there is not enough facility for childcare.
More and more women and men are delaying their marriage and
childbirth, if not, rejecting the reproductive project as a whole.
More women in all age groups are choosing against marriage.
The Korean society places great importance in marriage.
Despite modern Korea's growing trend of individualism,
it is still one of the most pivotal events in the Korean society.
This is why it is important to look into the changing family structure of Korea in
relation to marriage.
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