Title: Are "worlds of pain" crosscultural? Korean working class marriages.

POPLINE Document Number: 073746

Author(s):

Choi SH
Keith PM

Source citation:

JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE FAMILY STUDIES, 1991 Autumn;22(3):293-312.

Abstract:

Based on the 1976 Lillian Rubin study of working class-marriages, described by the author as worlds of pain, a study of Korean working-class marriages reveals similar results. The Rubin study was based on 50 in-depth interviews with white, working class families in suburban California. The study of Korean working-class marriages involved 32 couples from Seoul. The couples ranged in age from 23 to 37 for wives and 28-40 for husbands. Their mean ages were 31 for wives and 34 for husbands. They had been married from 2 to 13 years with a median of 7 years. 60% of the couples had 2 children, 34% had 1, 6% had 3. The husbands had 11.5 years of education, while the wives had 10.9. The husbands all worked as blue-collar workers and 70% of the wives worked outside the home. 13 couples lived with their parent in-laws and 19 lived alone. Of those with parent in-laws, 7 had the husband's single parent and 6 had both of the husband's parents. The parents of the wives traditionally live with their own eldest son. The husbands and wives were interviewed separately with the wife being interviewed 1st. The interviews were tape-recorded and confidentiality was promised beforehand. Open-ended questions were asked about adjustment to family life, conjugal power, decision making, disclosure of affection, communication, conflict resolution and sexual adjustment. The results indicated that even across cultures, husbands and wives behave and have similar needs. Adjustment to parent in-laws was the most difficult part of the marriage for the wives. Husbands and wives maintained traditional family roles concerning decision making and sexual behavior. Husbands were considered active, women passive in most aspects of family life. This study points to the need to include outside factors when determining marital adjustment scales. In addition to ethnic and religious factors, finances and living arrangements are also important factors in assessing marriages.

Keywords:

Korea
Gender Relations
Kinship Networks
Living Arrangements
Extended Family
Parents
Marriage Age
Mate Selection
Educational Status
Mothers
Sex Preference
Sons
Labor Force
Child Care
Husband-Wife Communication
Sex Behavior
Male Role
Female Role
Women
Gender Issues
Family and Household
Residence Characteristics
Population Distribution
Geographic Factors
Population
Family Characteristics
Family Relationships
Marriage Patterns
Marriage
Nuptiality
Socioeconomic Status
Socioeconomic Factors
Economic Factors
Value Orientation
Psychological Factors
Behavior
Human Resources
Child Rearing
Partner Communication
Interpersonal Relations
Social Behavior
Demographic Factors