• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.157-178
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• 2007

This study examines the features of Korean kinship relationships from the comparative perspectives. Based on ISSP (international Social survey program) data, it analyzes the degree of kinship contact and the source of instrumental and emotional social supports. The results show that the contact frequency among Korean kin is relatively low, and the instrumental social supports are more active than emotional social supports. Focusing on the fact that the lower contact frequency among Korean kin cannot be easily explained either the degree of Economic development nor the familism tradition, this study suggests that the hierarchical collectivism inhered in confucian tradition is responsible for the sparse kinship contact. Regarding social supports, results confirm the strong instrumental familism among Koreans. The relationship between hierarchical collectivism and lower emotional support from kin is also discussed. In addition, this study notes that lower extent of emotional support among kin cannot be identified with lower social solidarity among them.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.79-89
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the value of children according to the demographic characteristics of mothers with young children. This was to examine the relationship between psychological and environmental factors, and the value of children to mothers with young children. The participants of this study were 237 mothers, who had young children. Descriptive statistics, t-test, F-test, and Pearson's correlation analysis were used for data analysis. The results were as follows: First, the value of children was different according to the child's factors (gender and number of children in the family, etc.), the mother's factors (age and education, etc), and the family's factors (household income and cost of bringing up the child). Second, familism is related to emotional value and instrumental value, parenting efficacy is related to emotional value and social value, children's temperament is related to emotional value, and the value of children from mother's reference group is related to emotional value and instrumental value, social value, and burdensome value. As for the implication of these findings, value of children from mother's reference groups is important for changing the value of children of the mothers with young children.