• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.59-87
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to empirically test some hypotheses derived from the alliance model of the family, which focuses on theorizing situations in which family members simultaneously compete with other members within a family and rivals in society to maximize their statuses in the family and in society. Specifically, associations between wives' level of income relative to that of their husbands and each spouse's satisfaction with family relationships were examined, using the first wave of Korea Welfare Panel Study having been conducted in 2006 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The results of the analyses showed that three ones among four research hypotheses were supported. Wives' satisfaction with family relationships was negatively associated with their relative level of income. This pattern strongly appeared among wives from lower class families rather than among wives from middle/upper class families. Relationship between wives' relative level of income and husbands' satisfaction with family relationships was likely to be bi-directional among husbands from middle/upper class families. Unlike the author's expectation, however, this bi-directional relationship was not observed among husbands from lower class families.