• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.151-166
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• 2016

This study examined frequency of contact between parents and their non-coresident, never-married daughters and sons compared to children in other marital statuses. Despite an increasing number of never married adults, little is known about the extent to which they may be willing to remain connected to and exchange support with their parents. The data were drawn from first wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2006). For analyses, respondents who had at least one non-coresident child aged 40 or older were selected, resulting in the analytic sample of 2,755 parents with 7,741 children. Both sibling fixed effects regression models and regression models with robust standard errors were estimated using the xtreg and reg procedures in STATA. Findings revealed significant marital status by gender interaction effects on face-to-face contact. Never-married daughters were more likely to see their parents compared to their married, divorced, or widowed counterparts. Never-marred sons, on the other hand, reported slightly lower levels of in-person contact with their parents in comparison to married sons and lower levels of contact compared to divorced or widowed sons. More frequent contact via phone, mail, or email was reported in daughter-parent relationship compared to son-parent relationship, but no significant marital status by gender interactions were observed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.59
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• pp.1-23
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• 2017

Using a subsample of 3,409 unmarried smothers and their children from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, the present study examined the cross-lagged effects of unmarried fathers' involvement on their children's behavior problems. Father involvement was used as a latent variable to measure the frequency of fathers' visits to the child, fathers' instrumental support, and their supportive parenting. Both variables of father involvement and child behavior problems were repeatedly measured at child ages 3, 5, and 9 to estimate their trends over time. The results indicated that fathers' more active engagement in parenting at child ages 3 to 5 reduced behavior problems in children at ages 5 to 9. Further discussions include programs and services to support unmarried fathers through education and training opportunities for effective parenting, relationship skills, and conflict resolutions as well as policy strategies to encourage their continuous involvement in the lives of their children.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.139-158
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• 2017

Following the global trend of the delayed transition to adulthood, the number of unmarried middle aged adult children living with, or economically dependent on their parents has increased in Korea. Middle aged adult children in Korea are traditionally expected to satisfy their duty to support their elderly parents both in economic and emotional needs. This study aims to explore group differences in unmarried adult children in their mid 30s or older and in parents having unmarried middle aged child(ren) depending on co-residency and the children's eonomic dependency in Korea. Using quota sampling in terms of living arrangements (living together vs. living apart), 500 unmarried adult children 35 years of age or older and 500 elderly parents, having at least one unmarried child in the mid of 30s or over, were selected in Seoul, Korea in June 2016. First, the findings show that unmarried adult children living together with their parents and depending on their parents economically were in the lowest level of educational achievement and the lowest level of monthly average income among the respondents. Second, both unmarried adult children and parents from the group of co-residency and economically dependent showed the lowest level of psychological well-being. Third, parents from the group of co-residency and economically independent had mostly positive relationships with children, whereas, parents from the group of living apart and economically dependent reported the most negative relationships. Finally, respondents included in the group of co-residency had positive attitudes toward marriage and the support for their elderly parents regardless of the child's economic dependency. This study has implications for the increasing number of unmarried middle aged adult children and their elderly parents.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.391-406
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• 2022

This study examined the experience of middle-aged women, centering on the home as the residence of never-married children. I conducted interviews with four such women in their 50s and 60s who had experienced the residential independence of never-married children within the past five years, and a variety of field texts were used as research texts. Through reconstructing the participants' experiences, two main themes emerged: experiencing anxiety regarding alienation from their child and expecting to resolve this anxiety through the marriage of their child. The participants were anxious about their never-married children, and this study found that at the root of this was anxiety regarding being alienated from their children. The participants often attempted to visit their children's homes to relieve such anxiety but, as their children often discouraged this, the situation was aggravated. Thus, the participants wished for their children to marry, as they aspired to restore an intimate relationship with them through such an event. These results imply that tensions and conflicts between parents and children may arise due to the independence of never-married children.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.183-214
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological characteristics of affecting never married men and women through analyzing the content of in-depth interviews about the idea of marriage and the reason for never married choice. For achieving this purpose, the in-depth interview was conducted with 9 men and women aged mid-20s to late 30s who said to choose never married life for a long time, and then the content of interview was analyzed using consensual qualitative research. As a result of analyzing the content of in-depth interview, it was derived into 2 areas, 10 sub-areas, and 25 categories. The results of the study were as follows. Firstly, it was found that research participants negatively recognized the marriage and had unrealistic expectation rather than no expectation for marriage. Secondly, most of the research participants felt negative feelings about their parents' patriarchal role, and they did not want to live like their parents. They also reported that they did not see their marriage separated from their parents. Thirdly, most of the research participants felt difficulty in forming relationships with intimate person, and it became more difficult to have expectations about spouses and marriage due to repeated relationship conflict patterns. Fourthly, the research participants showed psychological aspect of experiential avoidance and seeking for individuality in terms of never married choice. Most of the research participants predicted the failure of married life, and reported that they were trying to prevent uncomfortable feelings and sufferings by choosing never married life. Also they reported that individuality considered more important than connection with others(togetherness) and individual value considered more important than collective value. Participants in this study showed negative evaluation or had negative influences on the marriage life of parents and acquaintances. This is more likely to be a passive factor in never married choice, so future research should examine the characteristics of active factors in never married choice.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.178-185
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• 2018

The low birth rate in South Korea is a very serious problem. Recently, as personal happiness has emerged as an important life value of life, unmarried people have developed a negative tendency toward marriage. This study was conducted to investigate the attitude toward marriage, gender role and having children among college students, and to identify the factors affecting marriage. The participants were 383 unmarried nursing college students who live in D city. Data were collected from self-report questionnaires and analyzed using the t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression using the SPSS 22.0 program. Gender was a significant variable influencing attitude toward marriage. Moreover, the attitude toward marriage was negatively correlated with gender role, and positively correlated with having children. Attitude toward gender role was negatively correlated with having children. Regression analysis of the factors affecting attitude toward marriage showed that gender (male), attitude toward gender role, and attitude toward having children were significant influencing factors. Moreover, this model explained 51.9% of variance in attitude toward marriage. Overall, it is necessary to change individual values to solve the problem of low birthrate.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.39-45
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• 2022

The new word for person designation is frequently used and spread in daily life. It reflects the new lifestyle or cultural phenomenon of the society. This study compared and analyzed the social and cultural phenomena based on the new words for person designation that emerged in Korea and China in 2017 and 2018. This study divided the words into three areas: personal life, family life, and work life and adopted qualitative analysis and control analysis. In Korea, various lifestyles pursuing happiness have emerged, and lots of consumers have sought reasonable and economical consumption. On the other hand, intemperate shopping has become an issue in China. Many korean single-person households were unmarried. Many chinese single-person households have been divorced. In China, Divorce due to urbanizationn increased rapidly. In Korea, many couples divorced after their children's independence. Young Koreans often relied on their parents even after marriage. Korean elders tended to be poor and marginalized. There was an early study abroad craze in China. Young people in Korea and China suffered from unemployment. After employment, they prepared to change jobs or retire. In future studies, studying Korean class plans on the new words for person designation, after reinforcing the latest word data, will help Chinese learners to understand Korean society and culture.