• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.25 no.3 s.87
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• pp.1-23
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• 2007

This study provides basic materials that assist in marital counselling and marital therapy intervention through its analysis of the effects of marital communication and marital intimacy on psychological well-being and its systematic focus on middle-aged married men and women of social interest and importance. The subjects of this study were married men and women, aged 40 to 59, living in the metropolitan areas of Seoul and Kyeonggi; the study excluded those who were divorced, bereaved or whose last child was in over high school, but included those who were separated or in a second marriage. A total of 396 people, 134 men and 262 women, were included in the study. The major findings of this study are as follows. First, middle-aged married men recorded higher levels of marital communication and marital intimacy than middle-aged married women. While women showed higher levels of depression than men, there was no difference between men and women in terms of overall life satisfaction. Second, there were differences in marital communication, marital intimacy, and psychological well-being among middle-aged married men and women according to background variables. Third, marital communication and marital intimacy were shown to affect the life satisfaction of both middle-aged married men and women. Of the two, marital communication had more the influence. Marital communication also had the biggest influence on levels of depression among both middle-aged married men and women.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.25-42
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the married middle-aged married men and women describe their own gender-role attitude, mid-life crisis and psychological adjustment, including search components as both middle-aged men and women's income, and education with occupation. Psychological adjustment was composed of mid-life crisis, depression, and perceived happiness, These data were collected from 397 married, middle aged men and women from 40 years to 59 years-old by using self-administered questionnaire method, The summarized results of the study are as follows: First of all, the middle-aged men's gender-role attitudes were more traditional gender-role attitudes 'than of women's. Second, in general characteristic, the men were different according to education, However, the women's gender-role attitudes were different according to ages, a period of marriage, education, income, and occupation. Third, in psychological adjustment, the men had significant differences in income. And, the women had significant differences in ages, a period of marriage, education, income, and occupation. Finally, the men and women's gender-role attitudes were positively correlated with mid-life crisis and depression, and were negatively correlated with happiness. And, the women's gender-role attitudes were positively correlated with psychological adjustment.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.35-51
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess middle-aged married men and women's access to family resources (economic and relationship) and to examine how this affects their life satisfaction. Data were drawn from the second wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). The sample consisted of 3,265 middle-aged married men and women aged between 45 and 60, who had children. The collected data were analyzed using multiple regression, ANOVA and the Scheff$\acute{e}$ctest using SPSS 18.0 The results showed that there was significant difference between men and women in terms of their access to economic and human relationship resources. In addition, the life satisfaction of the middle-aged was found to be significantly predicted by their access to economic and human relationship resources. In particular, the life satisfaction of group (A), who had low economic resource access but high family relationship satisfaction, was found to be higher than that of group (B), who had access to high economic resources but had low family relationship satisfaction This result indicated that there was an interaction effect between family resources. A number of policy implications were made.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.71-94
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to propose measures for social work practice to enhance the happiness of middle-aged married men and women by identifying the effects of family stress and social support resources (formal and informal support resources) on marital satisfaction among mid-life married couples. Subjects were selected through purposive sampling among married men and women aged between 40 and 59 and living in Seoul City and Gyeonggi province. The study results are follows. First, the average score of family stress was 3.06 points (SD=.56), slightly higher than the median value of 3 points. Of all subscales of family stress, the subjects experienced the most stress from family relationships, followed by financial problems, health and loss of families, and work-family compatibility. In regard to social support resources, the mean value of all social support resources categories was greater than the median. Among the subscales, informal support (family support and support from other people) was found to be higher than formal support. The level of marital satisfaction was higher than the median, and the score was 3.21 points (SD=.78). Second, in order to explore differences in marital satisfaction according to family stress and social support, differences in marital satisfaction were analyzed by grouping subjects who scored high, middle, and low levels of marital satisfaction. According to the results, marital satisfaction was statistically significantly higher in the group that experienced less family stress (F=6.25, p<.01). With respect to social support, marital satisfaction was statistically significantly higher in the group that received high social support (F=29.68, p<.001). Third, according to the analysis of factors affecting marital satisfaction in middle-aged married men and women, subjective economic status, family relationship stress, economic stress, and family support showed statistical significance. The higher the subjective economic status and the lower the family relationship stress and economic stress levels, the higher the marital satisfaction among middle-aged married men and women. In addition, the greater the family support, the higher the marital satisfaction. The results of this study underscore the need to improve family relationships in middle-aged married couples and to distribute family life education programs that can strengthen family support resources. For example, family relationship enhancement programs are currently performed, including "Family School for Middle-Aged Baby Boomers" and others as part of the Healthy Family Support Work regarding the promotion of marital satisfaction of middle-aged couples. In addition, continuing effort is warranted to include content on strengthening family support resources, maximizing the effectiveness of programs, and promoting service accessibility.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.107-126
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of married middle-aged men and women's gender-role identity, marital conflicts and psychological adjustment. Psychological adjustment was composed of mid life crisis, depression, and perceived happiness. The data of the study were collected from 397 married, middle aged men and women from 40 years to 59 years-old by using self-administered questionnaire method. The results showed that gender role identity was different according to sex. In addition, women's perceived level of marital conflict was found to be significantly different according to their gender role identity, indicating that androgynous women reported the lowest level of marital conflict. However, men's gender role conflict was not related to their marital conflict. Furthermore, men's psychological adjustment level was not different according to their gender role identity, while women's psychological adjustment differed, indicating that androgynous women reported the lowest level of psychological adjustment and the undifferentiated women the highest level of psychological adjustment. Finally, the result indicated that for both men and men, marital conflict were positively correlated with mid-crisis and depression, and negatively related with happiness.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.103-114
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• 2012

This paper aims to investigate changes in Korean family structures by reflecting on the perception of traditional family rites and family systems. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 married middle-aged men (9) and women (8) who had at least one child. Findings were as follows: First, both married middle aged men and women internalized Confucianism. They thought that the head of household, who was male as far as possible, was needed for the formation of a normal family. In addition, both of married middle-aged men and women recognized married women as outsiders based on Chul-ga-we-in-sa-sang. And they put parents-children relationships ahead of couple relationships and supported Jang-ja-woo-dae-sang-sok (privileging the eldest son over the other children in terms of the distribution of family resources and inheritance based on Confucianism). However, there were some differences to support the use of Hang-ryul-ja, which is based on expressing the character of generation by sharing the first name, and the importance of Jok-bo. which is based on traditional family genealogical records. Second, even though women internalized Confucianism, they did not attach traditional meanings to memorial services for ancestors to the extent that men did and defined family members as a procreation family boundaries unlike men, who defined family boundary as original family members and procreation family members. In conclusion, even though family laws and culture have evolved from the patrilineal family system to one which promotes gender equality, married men and women internalize Confucianism. Instead, some transformations are evident from the perspective of females in terms of memorial services for ancestors and family boundaries.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.103-131
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• 2012

As divorce and singlehood have been on the rise over the last decades, marital statuses are more diverse than the past for middle-aged men and women in South Korea. While marital status is crucial for health behaviors and statuses, but few studies examine the associations between health differentials and marital status for the middle-aged in South Korea. Using the 2010 Social Survey collected by the Statistics Korea, this study analyzes how health behaviors and statuses vary by the marital status. In particular, this paper examines whether marital statuses and gender interact to influence health behaviors and statuses. I find that married middle-aged people are healthier than divorced, single, and widowed middle-aged people. But this the negative influence of the non-married status are much greater for men than women. Some female non-married groups do not differ from married middle-aged people in some indicators of health behaviors. Single female middle-aged people are better in general satisfaction levels than married middle-aged people.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.10 no.1 s.19
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• pp.207-228
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• 1992

This study investigated the relationship between personality characteristics of individual and adjustment in the mid-life. The subjects of the study consisted of 374 married persons(185 men and 189 women) who live in Seoul and are 40 to 50 years old and whose last child is in middle school. Bem's short form BSRI, Rotter(1966)'s Internal-External Scale and Hayes & Stinnett(1977)'s MYLSS were used as measurements tools. The major results of the study were summarized as follows ; 1) While sex-role identity of middle aged men appeared in the follwing order ; Androgynous, masculine, undifferentiated, feminine, sec-role identity of middle aged women appeared in the following order ; Undifferentiated, androgynous, feminine, masculine. Both men and women had the moderate scores on the locus of control. The middle aged expressed a moderate level of life satisfaction with middle aged men reporting significantly a higher life satisfaction than did women. 2) Socio-demographic variables such as age, education, occuption and income have turned out to be significant on the life satisfaction of middle aged men. As for the life satisfacton of middle aged women, age, education, husband's occuption and religon had significant influences However, employment status of women, family structure, marital duration, number of child, status of last child, status of first child had no significant influences on Mid-life satisfaction. 3) Mid-life satisfaction of men and women was influenced significantly by sex-role identity and internal-external locus of control. Those men described as masculine and those women androgynous in the sex-role identity had the highest life satisfaction. On the other hand those of undifferentiated in the sex-role identity had the lowest life satisfaction. High levels of internal control were associated with high levels of life satisfaction. 4) The variables affecting the life satisfaction of middle aged men and women were education, income, sex-role identity, internal control. These 4 variables explained 27% of the life satisfaction of middle aged men and 24% of the life satisfaction of middle aged women.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.697-718
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of couple communication(speaking and listening) in relationships between sexual intimacy and marital satisfaction of married middle-aged men and women. The results of this study are as follows. First, marital satisfaction, sexual intimacy, and speaking of couple communication were found to have significant positive correlation. Speaking and listening of couple communication appeared to have significant positive correlation with marital satisfaction. Secondly, sexual intimacy significantly predicted the marital satisfaction. Third, speaking and listening of couple communication significantly predicted the marital satisfaction. Fourth, speaking of couple communication in relationships between sexual intimacy and marital satisfaction did not show a moderating effect. Listening of couple communication in relationships between sexual intimacy and marital satisfaction showed a moderating effect. Through this results, we discussed the need for intervention on the potential use of sexual intimacy and listening of couple communication proved as a moderating variable in counseling and couple counseling program for married middle-aged men and women

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.17-32
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of family life stress and family values on marital stability among middle-aged couples. The subjects included a total of 302 men and women aged 45-64 who had been married for more than 20 years and were living in Seoul. The collected data were statistically analyzed with the SPSS 21.0 Package. First, Cronbach's alpha was calculated to measure the reliability of the scale that assessed the variables of the research model. Then, mean and standard deviation were calculated to determine the degrees of family life stress, family values, and marital stability among the subjects. Finally, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors that affected the subjects' marital stability. The results revealed that the level of family life stress in middle-aged married men and women was slightly higher than the mean value. Of all the sub-scales of family life stress, the subjects were found to experience the most stress from factors related to financial pressure, followed by family relationships, a sense of loss within a family, and work-family compatibility. Therefore, financial problems were one of the critical stressors for middle-aged married couples. Also, for this demographic, the levels of family values and marital stability were higher than the medians. The factors affecting marital stability in middle-aged couples were identified to be family relationship stress, financial stress, subjective economic status, family values, stress related to work-familycompatibility,religion,andage.Thedegreeofmaritalstabilitywashigherinmiddle-agedcouplesa stheirstresslevelsfromfamilyrelationshipsandfinancialproblemswerelower.Moreover,thehigherthes ubjectiveeconomicstatusandthemoretraditionalthefamilyvalues,thehigherthedegreeofmaritalstabili ty.Finally,marriedcoupleswhowerereligioushadalowerlevelofstressfromwork-family compatibility, and the younger the couples, the higher the degree of marital stability.