• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.63-90
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• 2003

This study aims to discover patterns of Korean women's life course in terms of their life time sequence of family roles and economic activity. Primary factors for the change and diversity of family-work role sequence are also examined. Data used in this study is the Fourth Survey of Korean Women's Economic Activity which was conducted by Korean Institute of Women Development (KIWD) in 2002. According to the main results, five distinctive patterns of life course are to be disentangled for ever married women: First, doing simultaneously family and work roles with no maternal leave (13.7%); second, reentry into labor market after maternal leave (M type, 18.6%); third, no reentry into labor market after maternal leave (latent M type, 26.9%); fourth, first job entry after child rearing (23.5%); and finally, no work experience (17.3%). The relative composition of the respective life course has changed over marriage cohorts. M type including latent M type became a dominant life pattern among married women since marriage cohorts of 1980 and later. The share of married women who begin to work first after maternal role or have no work experience has declined with recent marriage cohorts. It is also noted that the share of women with simultaneous family and work roles has increased among marital cohorts of 1990 and later. Marriage cohort differences being controlled, life patterns significantly differ by women's educational level, existence of role model of working mother at growth, women's own and husbands' gender role attitude, and family economy. Finally, some policy concerns for gender role division of family and work are raised.