• Proceedings of the KHMA Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.79-94
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• 2013

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-41
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• 2014

This study attempted to explain how middle-aged married men and women prospected their family life in terms of their future coresident family members, caregivers, and residence, and what factors were associated with these prospects. The prospects reflected their realistic expectation rather than their preference based on their current life situations. Data were drawn from a survey of 800 married men and women in their 50s and 60s in Seoul and Gyunggi-do. Following previous research, we examined how resources (age, sex, health status, spouse's health status, number of children, current living arrangement, and household income), subjective perception on their responsibility for their parents and children, and relational satisfaction with their spouse and with their children were associated with the prospect. The results showed that these factors were associated with the prospect which is with whom they would live, who would care for them, and where they would live in different ways. The resources were more likely to be associated with the prospect on coresident family members and residence. The perceptions on responsibility were more likely to be associated with the prospect on caregivers. The relational satisfaction was more likely to be associated with the prospect on coresident members. These results underscored that the characteristics of caregiving and family life would change in 10-20 years. Family policymakers need to take these changes into consideration as they deal with issues of family policy.