Critical analysis on discourse of Single-Person Households in Korean newspapers: Implications to family studies

일인가구를 둘러싼 신문기사분석 : 가족학 연구에 관한 시사점을 중심으로

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to critically review the recent discourse on single-person households (SPH) that appeared in Korean newspapers. Specifically, we analyzed articles in five major daily newspapers, which are representative of the media in Korean society, and examined the types of titles, subjects, and contents of articles in which SPH were mentioned. Method: For this purpose, 538 articles on SPH or "living alone" that appeared in the five major Korean newspapers during 2011-2017 were analyzed using content analysis methods. Results: Our analysis revealed eight major topics(living arrangement and household characteristics; financial instruments; food, clothing, and housing culture; policy; welfare; relationships; safety; values and attitudes). The results show that there is a surge of articles portraying neutral images of SPH in Korean newspapers, thereby emphasizing the recent growth in the number of SPH and the information relating to this population group. Although negative images of SPH continue to exist in the discourse, in recent times we found these attitudes to have become less prevalent compared to neutral images or even positive discourse. We also found that the discourse on these topics and arguments can be divided into four themes-the diversity of SPHs, the solo economy for single households, safety issues, and social relationships. Conclusions: Theoretical and policy implications on family studies relating to SPH are discussed.