• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.387-403
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• 2016

This study explored the relationships between unmarried adult children and their coresident parents with a focus on the role of intergenerational exchanges and family values affecting parent-child relations. A total of 767 unmarried adult children who lived with their parents were selected from the data of the third National Korean Family Survey in 2015. The main findings were that coresident adult children exchange diverse resources with their parents and that exchange patterns whether receiving more or giving more differed depending on the helping dimensions. 'Receiving' type was more prominent in the dimension of practical help, while, 'receiving and giving' type was more noticeable in the dimension of emotional help. Findings also suggest that intergenerational exchange and family values contribute to parent-child relationship quality. While being an active provider of practical help is positively associated with relationship quality, being a recipient of emotional help is related to a higher level of relationship quality compared to being indifferent. In addition, a stronger value of family responsibility was associated with a higher level of relationship quality. These findings indicate that the importance of the practical and emotional component in the relationships between unmarried adult children and their co-resident parents and reciprocal intergenerational exchange and strong family values may be contributory factors to better parent-child relationships.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.43-60
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• 2020

The literature on parent-child relationships in young adulthood lacks a systemic approach that considers the multifaceted nature of intergenerational relationships. In this paper, we identify the latent profiles of young Korean adults' relationships with their parents based on the six dimensions of intergenerational solidarity (structural, associational, affectual, consensual, functional, and normative solidarity) as indicators. We considered solidarity for the mother and the father separately for structural, associational, affectual, and consensual dimensions. In terms of functional and normative solidarity, we measured both upstream and downstream intergenerational support. The sample included 1,015 young adults who were 19-34 years old, never married, not in secondary school, and had both parents living. The latent profile analysis revealed four profiles: (a) independent but intimate (22.7%), (b) coresident, outwardly intimate (32.4%), (c) detached from father (6.7%), and (d) coresident, intimate (38.2%). The factors that predicted each profile included the young adults' education, income, subjective socioeconomic status, and experiencing the features of emerging adulthood along with the parents' marital status, father's employment, and overparenting. The "coresident, intimate" group reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms compared to the other three groups. The lowest levels of psychological adjustment were found in the "coresident, outwardly intimate" group and "detached from father" group.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.15-27
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• 2016

This study examined intergenerational contact and financial support exchange between parents and each of their non-coresident married children. Prior qualitative work has suggested that increased contact between parents and their married daughters may indicate a decline in patrilineal norms in contemporary Korean families. Using a nationally representative sample, this study investigated if married daughters engage in similar levels of intergenerational contact and financial support exchange with their parents in contrast to their married brothers (first-born sons in particular). The data were drawn from the first wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2006). For analyses, individuals who had at least one non-coresident married child were selected, resulting in the analytic sample of 3,950 parents with 10,947 non-coresident married children. Both regression with robust standard errors and sibling fixed effects regression models were estimated using the reg and xtreg procedures in STATA. Residential proximity and sociodemographic characteristics of both parents and children were controlled in analyses. Findings suggest that, overall, parents report more frequent face-to-face contact with and financial support from their first-born sons in comparison to other sons and daughters. Daughters, on the other hand, were found to engage in more frequent contact via phone call, mail, or email with their parents. In conclusion, we did not find a strong evidence to support the contention that patrilineal norms have softened in contemporary Korean families to the extent that has been suggested in qualitative studies.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.369-386
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine which aspects of coresident intergenerational relationships were associated with the life satisfaction of unmarried children in established adulthood and of their parents. In this study, the coresident relationship characteristics included support exchange, emotion, interference-conflict, and perceptions of coresidence. Data were collected from (a) 250 never-married adults who were 35+ years old and lived in Seoul with at least one parent aged 75 years or younger and (b) 250 older adults who were 75 years old or younger and had at least one unmarried child aged 35+ years living in the same household. Our multiple regression analysis of unmarried children showed that the adult child's financial support, the adult child's psychological reliance on parents, the parent's psychological reliance on the child, and relationship quality were significantly related to higher levels of life satisfaction. In contrast, the parent's daily interference, daily conflicts, and anticipation of future care of parents were related to lower levels of life satisfaction. Second, the characteristics that were positively associated with the parent's life satisfaction were the parent's instrumental support, relationship quality, the coresident child's daily interference, positive perceptions of intergenerational coresidence, and expectation of future care of parents. In contrast, the parent's financial support, daily conflicts with the child, and taking intergenerational coresidence for granted were negatively related to the parent's life satisfaction. This study advances our understanding of coresidence between unmarried children in established adulthood and their older parents by focusing on the multiple aspects of intergenerational coresidence.

• 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 Home Economics Association
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• v.42 no.12 s.202
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• pp.15-29
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• 2004

Since the 1990s there have been increasing concerns about coresident grandparents and their children in the U.S. This study focused on the coresident grandparents and grandchildren, categorized into 6 household structures, and examined whether household structure with sociodemographic variables affected economic well-being. The data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used, and frequencies, $x^2$ tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis were conducted by SPSS Windows. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference in the yearly household income among the 6 household structures. In addition, household structure affected the economic well-being. Especially, grandchildren in grandmother only, some parents present families, and in grandmother only, no parent families were more likely to be poor than those in both grandparents.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.123-141
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• 2016

Objective: This study examined correlates of residential proximity between parents and non-coresident married children. A majority of existing studies on intergenerational living arrangement has focused on exploring factors that are associated with intergenerational coresidence only, despite an increasing number of parents and children who do not live together but close by. Because residential proximity facilitates frequent contacts and support exchanges between the two generations, it is important to understand its correlates. Method: The data were drawn from first wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2006), a nationally representative sample of adults 45 years or older and their spouses. The analytic sample consisted of 3,950 parents with 10,946 non-coresident married children. Both regression with robust standard errors and sibling fixed effects regression models were estimated using the reg and xtreg procedures in STATA. Results: Younger, less depressed, and more physically impaired parents lived closer to at least one of their married children (within a 30-minute distance by public transportation). Fathers (compared to mothers), parents living in cities (compared to those living in rural areas), parents with at least one co-resident child or fewer numbers of married children tended to have at least one married child living nearby. With regard to child characteristics, married children who were less educated, homeowners, and had more children lived closer to their parents. Also, sons (compared to daughters) lived in closer distance to their parents. Conclusion: Overall, findings suggest that intergenerational residential proximity may primarily be motivated by the childcare needs of married children or parents' needs for assistance with functional impairment. Also, the traditional patrilineal norms of intergenerational support may still be a critical factor in residential decisions as observed in the difference between married sons and daughters in proximity to their parents.

• 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.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.119-145
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• 2017

Objectives: Grounded in a life-course perspective, this study examined the effects of non-coresident children's transitions to marriage and parenthood on the frequency of contact with their parents. Gender of adult children and the educational levels of both adult children and their parents were evaluated as potential moderators of the transition-contact linkages. Method: The analytic sample consisted of adult children aged between 20 and 50 whose parents participated in four waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012). For analysis, fixed effects regression models were estimated using the xtreg procedure in Stata. Results: First, transition to marriage was associated with a decrease in face-to-face contact, whereas a greater increase in contact with parents via phone, mail, email etc. occurred only among newly married with less than college education compared to the newlywed with college degrees. Second, transition to parenthood was associated with an increase in contact via phone, mail, email etc. In addition, a greater increase in face-to-face contact was found with parents who completed high school or more education compared to those with less than high school education. Conclusions: The findings suggest that adult children's transitions to marriage and parenthood may bring about increases in contact with their parents, particularly for adult children with less than college education and parents with more than high school education.