• Architectural research
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.31-40
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• 2011

Profit-keeping behaviors naturally occur in the market to satisfy consumers, and the logic behind it lies in the economies of scale. On the flip side, some commodities transacted in the market are not available or can not be easily acquired unless the demand is high enough. Under this proposition, some consumers rise and find their own solution to meet the services at a reasonable cost or at an adequate level. The commonly adopted way is to establish a cooperative, and it stirs purchasing power by pooling resources and further bargains price and service quality. As a consumer cooperative, housing cooperatives notably found in rural towns enable the elderly to continue independent living. This study is to take a closer look at residential life of the rural elderly in housing cooperatives. Utilizing in-depth focus group interviews with 40 residents in four housing cooperatives, this qualitative research draws main factors affecting the decision to move in, residential assessment, and strengths and weakness of living in a housing cooperative. The primary factor influencing the moving decision is to continue to independent living in a familiar community, and the bottom line is planning ahead. Frailty and bereavement are found to be the leading occasions for them to move. The participants are satisfied with the independent living arrangement, and particularly, cited such features as safety and security, elderly-friendly design, common spaces, freedom, social activities and efficient living. Also, it is stated that some cooperative natures such as control over the property and giving a voice on management render positive impacts on the satisfaction with communal living. In spite of all the benefits and strengths, participants face with a public notion that an independent living arrangement like a housing cooperative has never done before in rural towns, so that most people recognize it as part of dependent living arrangements like nursing home.

• 복식
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• 제59권4호
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• pp.143-154
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• 2009

The purpose of this research is to investigate elderly, middle-aged female consumers' design and material preferences for lounge wear and after understanding senescent women's propensity to purchase lounge wear. The subject of research were to those living in the Seoul and capital region and 612, which did not comprise missing values, were collected and used for data analyses. All the age groups including those in their 50s and 60s prefer jacket and pants styles the most and these styles are the most favored as lounge wear as well. Those in their 50s and 60s prefer a round neckline the most while those in their 70s favor a V neckline the most. Analyses of sleeve styles of senescent women show that all the age groups favor a straight set, or a sleeve design, the most. Although the aged people investigated in this research have relatively high purchasing power, it is found that they tend to buy low priced lounge wears. Reviewing all of the above-mentioned results, the prices of garments for senescent people will be set in consideration of their economic level, so that good quality commodities may be produced and sold at different prices.