Abstract
This study aims to find out ways of improving life satisfaction of rural elderly by investigating their work and leisure activity, two significant axis of the life in later life. For this purpose, researchers and one assistant researcher visited house, senior citizen's center and health center, in order to have interviews with senior citizen above 65, who are currently working in the field. The summary of the research findings are as follows; First, the average size of the farm land which each senior citizen works on is $9,237.92m^2$ and they mostly work for economic reason. During farming season, they work on average 8.62 hour per day. As primary reasons for why farming work is difficult, "insufficient income" was picked. In fact, the average annual income senior citizens earn from farming is about 15.4 million won. 49.1% of sample senior citizens work both on watered farm and farm, and they are engaged in farming 48.82 years on average, showing that most of their lives have been spent on farming. In spite of these difficulties, most senior citizens showed high intention to continue farming work further. Second, senior citizens turn out to spend their leisure time mostly on public leisure activities such as watching TV, hearing radio and gatherings with families, relatives. However, individual activities such as meditation, yoga, drawing and calligraphy turn out to be low because they require foundations to enjoy. Third, senior citizen in rural areas were divided into four groups by farm work and leisure activity: group separated from work and leisure activity(27.09%), group centered to leisure activity(24.42%), group centered to work(23.75%), and group integrated work and leisure activity(23.75%). Fourth, the groups were different depending on demographic characteristics. Namely, male senior citizen, higher educational level, living in elderly couple households, and satisfied with their economic level belonged to the group integrated work and leisure activity. But senior citizen aged above 65 years old and working for their livelihood belonged to the group centered to work, and most of female and senior citizen aged above 80 years old belonged to the group separated from work and leisure activity. Finally, as the result of analysis of differences in life satisfaction according to farm work and leisure activity of senior citizen in rural areas, the group integrated work and leisure activity, and group centered to leisure activity were higher in life satisfaction than the group separated from work and leisure activity, and group centered to work. The above result indicates that life satisfaction of senior citizen depends upon leisure activity rather than work.
