| Abstract [eng] |
The subject of this Master thesis is the s the attitude of young Koreans towards marriage and family. Even though, as one of the top economies in the world, South Korea is considered to be one of the model societies in the modern world, yet it still it faces a number of problems, related to marriage decline and demographic aging. Even though it is a social phenomenon which can be seen in most developed countries in the modern world, the situation in South Korea is as harsh as no country have ever experienced. It has transformed from “aging society” to an “aged society” in an extremely short period of time and the birth rate continues declining. The purpose of this thesis is to recognize analyze the key marriage avoidance reasons in South Korea and to highlight the unique features of Korean society that distinguish this case from the rest of the world. Even though the majority of developed countries are experiencing similar societal changes, South Korea is a special case, since for ages it was influenced by the Confucian philosophy and in due course have developed a strong patriarchal tradition, which can still be seen in a modern Korea. Family-oriented Korean society have always been based on a strong hierarchical structure the respect for elders is considered an aspirational value. Therefore, currently it is falling into a negative perspective, since many young South Koreans are feeling oppressed by the hierarchical structure in all aspects of their life. Even though in the beginning it was supposed to be absorbed into Korean society in the most positive way possible, currently it highly contributes to several societal problems which the country is facing right now. Statement: The causes of the marriage delay in South Korea due to special socio-cultural conditions are fundamentally different from those of the social structure prevailing in the Western world, yet, the traditional family structure in South Korea can be unmistakably referred to “The theory of marriage” by an American economist and empiricist Gary S. Becker, who compared marriage to a business transaction. The empirical research revealed that economic instability and gender inequality are two of the main causes of marriage delay in South Korea. Since women are still segregated in the professional field and are expected to give give-up their careers after marriage. As a result, the high number of young Korean women decide to refuse marriage. Such trends have led to the emergence of new terms and has begun to irreversibly change the mentality of South Korean society. Men, on the other hand, often delay marriage due to the economic reasons. Since traditional Korean culture was highly based on Confucianism, standard Korean family is still financially liable for men and and even women who oppose patriarchal standards expect their husbands to earn more than they do. High levels of materialism in the marriage market in South Korea is burden for many young Korean men. The analysis also showed, that there is a direct linkage to Gary S. Beckers’ “A Theory of Marriage”, where he compares marriage to a business transaction. The choice of staying single in South Korea has become a new trend, which not only brings Korean society to the verge of extinction, but also leads to the creation of new term, widely used among younger generations. This Master thesis could be useful to Orientalists, anthropologists, culture researchers, students of the Asian studies, sociologists and journalists, as well as anyone who wants to get a closer look at the long-established deeply rooted conception of marriage and family life in South Korean society as well as the main challenges they face. |
