• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.149-159
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• 2004

An Ethnographic Decision Model (EDM) to explore socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological factors related to the attitudes toward childless family was developed in this study. From college students' protocol writings, this research found that the participants in general had conservative views about childless families. They tended to simplify childless families as either infertile couples or DINK (Double Income No Kids) couples. The participants explained why they decided to have or not to have children in the future. They seemed to believe in a traditional family structure and idealize parental roles, while recognizing the high economic and psychological cost of rearing children. They claimed that Korean society set high standards for parents, which were too difficult to reach. The participants, having been educated to believe in self-actualization through their successful careers, struggled to choose between a family with children and one without children. This study was conducted with a holistic view, and highlighted the importance of interactions between traditional ideology about the family and socioeconomic contexts when interpreting college students' perspectives on childless family.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.79-95
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• 2013

This study is aimed at exploring the experience of couples choosing not to have children after marriage. To identify the motives for voluntary childlessness and social perceptions, a qualitative research method was used for analysis. After in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 childless couples who had agreed to participate in the research, 15 meaning units, 5 categories, and 3 topics were established. The research findings were categorized as follows: 'the motives for being childless', 'the surrounding response and coping response', and 'the expectation of a childless family's society.' The research participants argued that families without children should be fully accepted in the changing society, with the hope that their childlessness would be respected. The significance of this study is that it focused on the perceptions of families and society, while steering away from personal views on the meaning of a life absent of children. Based on the perception that childlessness is not only a personal matter but also a social issue, this study clearly showed a variety of reactions to childless couples, such as the labeling of them as eccentric people and disapproval of them. Furthermore, this study has elaborated on the personal experience of childless couples by clearly indicating their desires to seek government support and compensation.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.55
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• pp.129-156
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• 2017

The study was conducted to identify factors that affect the first childbearing decisions among married working women in South Korea and thereby to gain insight into effective ways to improve relatively low fertility and unfavorable workplace conditions for women of childbearing age. This study used the merged data(1st-5th waves) from Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF), which were measured by the Korean Women's Development Institute. With 1,020 married business women, cross tab and binary logistic regression were conducted to determine which factors were significantly associated with the first childbearing decisions.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.51-63
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• 2024

This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the intentions of employed married women, aged 19 and above, with no prior experience of childbirth, to give birth to their first child. First, the intention of employed married women to give birth to their first child showed a moderate level of inclination, with slightly higher scores reflected in the subvariables of perceived marital value and perceived child value both within family values, while the effect of perceived gender role value was generally higher than the midpoint. Perception of work-life balance was generally a moderate influence, with the subvariable of balancing work and family being slightly higher than the midpoint in terms of influence. Second, the intention to give birth to a first child was clearly associated with the level of education and showed a positive correlation. However, this intention was negatively correlated with age, perceived child values, perceived marital values, and residential tenure. Third, pregnancy intention was influenced by age, educational level, perceived value of children, perceived value of marrriage, and work-life balance. This study provides meaningful assistance in understanding current low birth rate by gathering data on the preferences of married working women in relation to childbirth and by presenting the diverse perspectives of the women.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.1-26
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• 2006

This paper examines the interplay among changes in socioeconomic conditions, population policies, and fertility decline during $1960{\sim}2000$ in South Korea. Period-parity-progression-ratios (PPPR) are calculated using 2% samples of Population Census with the implied distribution of completed family size. The total fertility rate based on PPPR declined from 5.21 in 1960 to 2.76 in 1980, and 1.69 in 2000. The family planning programs were successful in meeting the needs of families that wanted to prevent further childbearing after having achieved the desired family size during $1960{\sim}1970$. The 1980s mark two important landmarks: achievement of replacement fertility and emergence of high sex ratio at birth. In the 1990s the "quality and welfare" approach was emphasized. In 2000s, South Korea's fertility is one of the lowest in the world. In response to this, in 2005, the Government adopted a new population policy with the goal of increasing the total fertility level to 1.6 by 2010. The results of this study indicate that proportion of women who would have no children at all throughout their reproductive life span increased substantially from 10% in 1995 to 16% in 2000, with a sharp increase since 1997. Thus, pro-natal programs need to address the problems associated with marriage and having the first child. Towards that, it is important that work and family life become more compatible.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.17-36
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• 2023

This research aims to investigate the socio-demographic, financial, and housing statuses of young married couples in Chonsei housing and to analyze the determinants of their residential environment quality and housing expenditure in four districts - Seoul and Gyeonggi-Incheon Area(GIA) of the Seoul Metropolitan Area(SMA), and metropolises and non-metropolises of non-SMA. From the 2020 Korean Housing Survey(KHS), this cross-sectional analysis examined a sample of 691 households, and the findings revealed that most were headed by college-educated, salaried male workers aged 31 years old. While childless dual-earner couples were common in Seoul, single-income families of three were prevalent in non-SMA. The financial status of the couples in Seoul was a lot better than in the other three areas, particularly much higher in Chonsei deposit and total asset value. Further, many lived in a three-bedroom apartment unit sized 60m² and bigger, using a Chonsei loan. Regardless of areas, almost all the households spent a very low portion of their living expenses and income on housing costs. However, dual-earner families positively increased borrowing capacity, which improves the household's financial position that is likely to lead to equity increment in a volatile asset market in the long run. The statistical results indicated that residential environment assessment was influenced by neighborhood quality and housing expenditure was affected by housing size in Seoul, urban amenities in GIA and householder's gender in non-metropolises. Thus, this research proposes that strong measures be considered to mitigate housing inequality embedded in geographical and socio-economic disparities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 1998

The consumption patterns of the minimally processed fruits and vegetables were surveyed in this present study. Eighty four women who were resident in either Seoul and Kyongki-do in Korea were participants in this study as respondents to our various questionnaire. The result are summarized as follows; The respondents had a preference for a supermarket (46.4%) as the place of purchase (or fruits and vegetables and the frequency of purchase was two or three times per week. The residents of apartment preferred department stores and supermarkets to stalls in the immediate residential area (p<.05). Fifty percents of the unmarried women respondents indicated that they only purchased once a week. Approximately 70% of the respondents rated quality considerations over the price and quantity when they choose their fruits and vegetables. This behavioral tendency was stronger for the residents of the apartment and amongst the more highly educated women. The type of fruits and vegetables purchased were mainly unprocessed. However, minimally processed products appeared to be popular especially among unmarried or married who did not have children, were highly educated and aged between 20 and 30. These observations are supported by data in which 82% of respondents whose ages were ranged between 20 and 30, with high educational backgrounds and who had experienced in the purchase of minimally processed fruits and vegetables. The motivation for purchasing minimally processed fruits and vegetables generally resulted from a consideration of the saving in cooking time, the ease of handling and the desire to serve appropriate portions. On the other hand, the reasons for not purchasing minimally processed fruits and vegetables were the comparatively high price, a perception of unsanitary handling and pack size that were considered too small. Ninety-three percent of the respondents exhibited a positive response to the need for minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Freshness was considered to be the most important factor when purchasing these products. The preferred price for the minimally processed fruits and vegetables was approximately $110{\sim}120%$ of that for the unprocessed products.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5031-5041
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• 2014

Purpose: The influence of the hoping number of children, the policy of childbirth, and the causes of reduced childbirth to the perception of childbirth, which will be the subject of future childbirth, was surveyed by health-line college students. Results: In terms of the attitude to the perception of childbirth, the quality of personal life, childcare, insufficient support of childbirth, and breeding of descendants had the largest influence on childbirth, and in terms of the attitude to the hoping number of children, economic reasons, childcare expenses, and education expenses had the largest influences. Second, when the causes of social demographic properties influencing childbirth was analyzed, sex showed significance to all the factors on the hoping number of children in terms of growing areas, to all the factors excluding childbirth policy in terms of the economic level, and hoping number of children in terms of the parents' jobs. Third, when the correlation was analyzed, a correlation was found in every area excluding the hoping number of children in terms of the causes of childbirth reduction and economy, childbirth policy in terms of the personal causes, personal factor in terms of the causes of childbirth policy, and family factor in terms of the causes of childbirth reduction and economy. Fourth, when the influences of the causes of hoping number of children, childbirth policy, and childbirth reduction to perception of childbirth were analyzed, the case hoping no or one child, the case hoping 2 or more children, childbirth policy, and childbirth reduction had a positive significant influence on the perception of childbirth. Conclusion: The childbirth rate will be improved if the following occur: childbirth policy and laws are established at the level of government, education programs are developed and operated for the formation of the value of perception of childbirth, and a new support policy is established after analyzing the current childbirth support policies. To change the perception of childbirth in college students who are future subjects of childbirth, successive studies will be needed to verify the effect of aforesaid measures.