A Study of the Socio-cultural Environment of Childbirth and Childrearing

Abstract

분석결과에서 나타난 핵심 요점은 출산 및 자녀 양육을 둘러싼 현재의 문화적 환경이 매우 강력한 구조를 형성하고 있다는 점이다. 이러한 문화적 구조의 역사는 뿌리 깊고, 사회체계 전반에 보편적으로 확산되어 있다. 그러나 현실의 제도는 출산과 자녀 양육의 긍정적 행위규범을 지지하지 못하고, 가족의 부양부담을 적절히 완화하지 못하고 있다. 개인들은 이와 같은 모순적 문화구조에 갇혀서 출산을할 수도 하지 않을 수도 없는 난처한 상황에 놓여 있다. 향후 정책 과제는 가족의 부양부담을 줄이고 여성의 자율성을 보장하는 방향에서 설정되어야 함을 알 수 있다. 부모들이 느끼는 도덕적 죄의식에서 벗어날 수 있는 국가적 지원이 없다면 출산을 계속하기 어려울 것이다. 또한 양성평등의 가치와 규범이 현실에서 실현되는 사회구조를 만들어야 한다.

This study analyzed changes in time spent on childcare and household work from 1999 to 2009 by using data from Korea Time Use Survey. In order to examine changes in time, the differences are broken down into explanatory factors and unexplanatory factors. This study estimates three models: Oaxaca-Blinder model, Juhn-Murphy-Pierce model, and Unconditional Quantile Regression Model. The amount of time spent on childcare and household work increased for men. For women, time spent on childcare increased similar with men but time spent on household work decreased. Though these changes, men still spend very limited times on childcare and household work compared with female. This finding suggests that strong gender norms on childcare and household work still remain in Korean society. The influence of the socio-demographic factors such as perceptions and attitudes are very limited. For women, not only the un-explanatory factors but also explanatory factors affect the increase in the time spend on household work. However, un-explanatory factors are a strong driving force for increases in time spent on childcare for women. Increases in time spent on childcare for men were found mostly from those who had spent some time on childcare. Most women decreased time on household work. But for the childcare women who spend more time on childcare are more likely to increase the time than women who spend less time. This study suggests that the amounts on time spend on childcare and household work have changed since the government expanded family policies. The changes in time for household of men and women work reflect the gender inequality in household work decreased. Increases on time spend on childcare for men are positive singes because it reflects more husbands share childcare with wives. However, increase in the time on childcare for female indicates the traditional role of women in childacare are still emphasized in Korean society and the burdens are remains. In order to increase the participation of men in household work and childcare the better and safe employment should be provided for men. The burden of childcare on parents need to be relived by providing the relevant supports from public sides.