Family Values in South Korean Society: Marital and Sexual Values in Gender, Age, and Protestantism Contexts

Main Article Content

Jongwoo Kim
Susanna Joo
Kayeon Lee
Heyjung Jun

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine differences in marital and sexual values according to gender, age, and Protestantism contexts using the 2012 and 2018 Korea General Social Surveys. Samples for marital values were from the 2012 survey (N=797 adults aged 20 and over), and those for sexual values were from the 2018 survey (N=550 adults aged 20 and over). There were four domains in marital values (happiness, child, cohabitation, and divorce) and three domains in sexual values (premarital intercourse, extramarital intercourse, and same-sex intercourse). We applied ANCOVA and post hoc analysis to examine the differences in each domain via gender, age, and Protestantism contexts. Results on marital values did not show significant interactions between gender, age group, and Protestantism contexts, while age differences were consistently significant in all domains of marital values. In results about sexual values, there were significant interactions between gender, age, and Protestantism contexts in all domains of sexual values. The findings of this study may promote an understanding of the dynamics and diversity of Korean contexts on marital and sexual values.

Article Details

How to Cite
Kim, J., Joo, S., Lee, K., & Jun, H. (2021). Family Values in South Korean Society: Marital and Sexual Values in Gender, Age, and Protestantism Contexts. Journal of Population and Social Studies [JPSS], 30, 54–71. Retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jpss/article/view/255799
Section
Research Articles
Author Biography

Susanna Joo, BK21 Symbiotic Society and Design, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

Corresponding author

References

• Agresti, A. (2018). Statistical methods for the social sciences. Pearson Education.
• Axinn, W. G., & Thornton, A. (2000). The transformation in the meaning of marriage. In M. Hindin, A. Thornton, E. Thomson, C. Bachrach, & L. J. Waite (Eds.), The ties that bind: Perspectives on marriage and cohabitation (1st ed., pp. 147–165). Aldine de Gruyter.
• Basow, S. A., & Johnson, K. (2000). Predictors of homophobia in female college students. Sex Roles, 42(5–6), 391–404. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007098221316
• Beets, G. C., Liefbroer, A. C., & Gierveld, J. (1999). Changes in fertility values and behavior: A life course perspective. In R. Leete (Ed.), Dynamics of Values in Fertility Change (1st ed., pp. 100–120). Clarendon Press.
• Bell, P. A. (2004). The impact of rapid urbanization on South Korean family composition and the elderly population in South Korea. Population Review, 43(1), 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1353/prv.2004.0006
• Bhang, W. (2021). 한국 개신교계의 종교 개념 수용 과정 [The introduction of “religion” in early Korean Protestantism]. Christianity and History in Korea, 54, 5-35. http://doi.org/10.18021/chk.54.202103.5
• Blakemore, J. E O., Lawton, C. A., & Vartanian, L. R. (2005). I can’t wait to get married: Gender differences in drive to marry. Sex Roles, 53, 327-335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-6756-1
• Brahmana, K. M. B., Suryanto, & Suyanto, B. (2018). The dynamic of gender role conflict of pastors’ husbands at Batak Karo Protestant Church. Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology, 7(1), 38-60. https://doi.org/10.12928/jehcp.v7i2.8701
• Brighouse, H., & Swift, A. (2014). Family values: The ethics of parent-child relationships. Princeton University Press.
• Burdette, A. M., Ellison, C. G., Sherkat, D. E., & Gore, K. A. (2007). Are there religious variations in marital infidelity? Journal of Family Issues, 28(12), 1553-1581. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X07304269
• Carroll, J. S., Willoughby, B., Badger, S., Nelson, L. J., McNamara Barry, C., Madsen, S. D. (2007). So close, yet so far away: The impact of varying marital horizons on emerging adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Research, 22(3), 219-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558407299697
• Cho, S. H., & Cho, A. (2012). 대학생의 이성교제와 성행동 경험에 관한 해석학적 현상학 연구 [A hermeneutics phenomenological study on university students’ dating and sexual behavior]. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 19(5), 137–160.
• Choi, H. J. (2015). 종교와 섹슈얼리티 그리고 가족 [Religion, sexuality, and the family]. Studies in Religion, 75(2), 47–68. http://doi.org/10.21457/kars.75.2.201506.47
• Christopher, F. S., & Sprecher, S. (2000). Sexuality in marriage, dating, and other relationships: A decade review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(4), 999-1017. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00999.x
• Egri, C. P., & Ralston, D. A. (2004). Generation cohorts and personal values: A comparison of China and the United States. Organization Science, 15(2), 210-220. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1030.0048
• Elder, G. H., Jr., & Giele, J. Z. (2009). Life course studies: An evolving field. In G. H. Elder, Jr. & J. Z. Giele (Eds.), The craft of life course research (pp. 1–24). The Guilford Press.
• Elder, G. H., Jr., Johnson, M. K., & Crosnoe, R. (2003). The emergence and development of life course theory. In J. T. Mortimer & M. J. Shanahan (Eds.), Handbook of the life course (pp. 3–19). Springer.
• Eun, K. S. (2001). 결혼에 대한 태도의 성별차이를 중심으로 [Attitudes towards marriage in Korea]. Korean Studies Quarterly, 24(4), 241–258.
• Eun, K. S. (2006). 가족가치에 관한 국제비교연구: 성별 및 세대간 차이를 중심으로 [A comparative study of family values: Focusing on sex and generational difference]. Family and Culture, 18(3), 1–31.
• Gallagher, K. E., & Parrott, D. J. (2011). What accounts for men’s hostile attitudes toward women? The influence of hegemonic male role norms and masculine gender role stress. Violence Against Women, 17(5), 568-583. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801211407296
• Gallup Korea. (2021). 한국인의 종교 1984-2021 [Religions of Koreans 1984-2021]. https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1209
• Gibson-Davis, C. M., Edin, K., & McLanahan, S. (2005). High hopes but even higher expectations: The retreat from marriage among low-income couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 1301-1312. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00218.x
• Gilbert, P. (1999). Family values and the nation-state. Jagger. In G. Jagger & C. Wright (Eds.), Changing family values: Difference, diversity and the decline of male order (pp. 136-149). Routledge.
• Grim, B. J. (2012). Religion, law, and social conflict in the 21st century: Findings from sociological research. Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 1(1), 249-271. https://doi.org/10.1093/ojlr/rwr020
• Han, N. C. (2010). 종교와 성태도 간 관계 [Relationship between religion and sexual attitudes]. Korean Journal of Sociology, 44(5), 114–138.
• Herek, G. M., & Capitanio, J. P. (1995). Black heterosexuals’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men in the United States. Journal of Sex Research, 32(2), 95–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499509551780
• Hilbig, B. E., & Zettler, I. (2009). Pillars of cooperation: Honesty-Humility, social value orientations, and economic behavior. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(3), 516-519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2009.01.003
• Hoffnung, M. (2004). Wanting it all: Career, marriage, and motherhood during college-educated women’s 20s. Sex Roles, 50, 711-723. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000027572.57049.ff
• Hsin, A. (2018). Hegemonic gender norms and the gender gap in achievement: The case of Asian Americans. Sociological Science, 5(32), 752-774. https://doi.org/10.15195/v5.a32
• Jarska, N. (2019). Modern marriage and the culture of sexuality: Experts between the State and the Church in Poland, 1956–1970. European History Quarterly, 49(3), 467-490. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0265691419857552
• Jennings, E. A., Axinn, W. G., & Ghimire, D. J. (2012). The effect of parents’ attitudes on sons’ marriage timing. American Sociological Review, 77(6), 923-945. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122412464041
• Kapinus, C. A., & Flowers, D. R. (2008). An examination of gender differences in attitudes toward divorce. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 49(3-4), 239-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502550802222469
• Kaufman, G. (2005). Gender role attitudes and college students’ work and family expectations. Gender Issues, 22(2), 58-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-005-0015-1
• Keskiner, E. (2020). Marriage decisions of Turkish second-generation women in Strasbourg: not a fate but a refuge. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43(16), 231-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2020.1767797
• Kim, A. E. (2002). The Rise of Protestantism in Contemporary South Korea: Non-religious Factors in Conversion. Review of Korean Studies, 5(1), 11-29.
• Kim, J., Kang, J., Kim, S., Kim, C., Park, W., Lee, Y. S., Choi, S., Choi, S., & Kim, S. (2019). 한국종합사회조사 2003–2018 [Korean General Social Survey 2003–2018] [Dataset]. Sungkyunkwan University. http://kgss.skku.edu/?page_id=39
• Klassen, A. D., Williams, C. J., & Levitt, E. E. (1989). Sex and morality in the U. S.: An empirical inquiry under the auspices of the Kinsey Institute. Wesleyan University Press.
• Korea Ministry of Government Legislation. (2021). 법원에서 이혼 사유 [Reasons for divorce in court]. https://easylaw.go.kr/CSP/CnpClsMain.laf?csmSeq=233&ccfNo=3&cciNo=1&cnpClsNo=2
• Lewis, K. G., & Moon, S. (1997). Always single and single again women: A qualitative study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 23(2), 115–134. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.1997.tb00238.x
• Lim, H. S. (2014). 기독교가 성인들의 성 인식과 태도에 끼친 영향에 대한 연구 [A study on the influence of the Christianity on sexual consciousness and attitude of the adults]. Theological Studies, 164, 191–227. http://doi.org/10.35858/sinhak.2014.164.005
• Mahoney, A. (2005). Religion and conflict in marital and parent-child relationships. Journal of Social Issues, 61(4), 689–706. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00427.x
• Mohr, J. J., & Sedlacek, W. E. (2000). Perceived barriers to friendship with lesbians and gay men among university students. Journal of College Student Development, 41, 70–79.
• Myers, S. M. (2006). Religious homogamy and marital quality: Historical and generational patterns, 1980–1997. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(2), 292-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00253.x
• Oliver, M. B., & Hyde, J. S. (1993). Gender differences in sexuality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 114(1), 29–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.114.1.29
• Padgug, R. A. (2007). Sexual matters: On conceptualizing sexuality in history. In R. Parker & P. Aggleton (Eds.), Culture, society and sexuality: A reader (pp. 17–30). Routledge.
• Park, S., & Park, S. (2018). Exploring the generation gap in the workplace in South Korea. Human Resource Development International, 21(3), 276-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2017.1306769
• Park, Y. S. (2002). 사회변동, 가족의삶, 그리고 종교 지향성 [Family life and its religious dimension in the global era]. The Korean Journal of Humanities and the Social Science, 25(3), 9-29.
• Petersen, J. L., & Hyde, J. S. (2010). A meta-analytic review of research on gender differences in sexuality, 1993–2007. Psychological Bulletin, 136(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017504
• Reynolds, J., & Wetherell, M. (2003). The discursive climate of singleness: The consequences for women's negotiation of a single identity. Feminism and Psychology, 13, 489–510. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535030134014
• Rubin, G. S. (2007). Thinking sex: Notes for a radical theory of the politics of sexuality. In R. Parker & P. Aggleton (Eds.), Culture, society and sexuality: A reader (pp. 150–187). Routledge.
• Sohn, A. R., & Chun, S. S. (2005). 전국 대학생의 성의식, 첫 성경험 및 성행동에 대한 성차 [Comparing sexual attitude, sexual initiation and sexual behavior by gender in Korean college students]. Health and Social Science, 18, 73–100.
• Stacey, J. (2012). Unhitched: Love, marriage, and family values from West Hollywood to Western China. New York University Press.
• Stata Corporation. (2017). Stata Statistical Software: Release 15. StataCorp LLC.
• Statistics Korea. (2017). Census 2015. https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1PM1502&vw_cd=&list_id=&scrId=&seqNo=&lang_mode=ko&obj_var_id=&itm_id=&conn_path=E1&docId=0280119510&markType=S&itmNm=%EC%A0%84%EA%B5%AD
• Tasker, F. L. (2013). Anti-marriage attitudes and motivations to marry amongst adolescents with divorced parents. In C. Everett (Ed.), Divorce and the next generation (pp. 105-120). Routledge.
• Twenge, J. M., & Blake, A. B. (2021). Increased support for same-sex marriage in the US: Disentangling age, period, and cohort effects. Journal of Homosexuality, 68(11), 1774-1784. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2019.1705672
• VanEvery, J. (1999). From modern nuclear family households to postmodern diversity? The sociological construction of ‘families.’ In G. Jagger & C. Wright (Eds.), Changing family values: Difference, diversity and the decline of male order (pp. 165-184). Routledge.
• Willoughby, B. J., Hall, S. S., & Luczak, H. P. (2015). Marital paradigms: A conceptual framework for marital attitudes, values, and beliefs. Journal of Family Issues, 36(2), 188-211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X13487677