Gender-Role Values and Attitudes toward Marriage and Children

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to understand the current status of gender role values, attitudes toward marriage and children and to suggest its policy implications. The current status of gender role values by gender, age, and marital status and how attitudes toward marriage and childbirth are changing were analyzed using the data from the ‘2021 The National Family and Fertility Survey’ conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The traditional values gradually disappeared, and a new value that the family role should be played in an integrated manner according to the situation of the family is spread. The survey respondents thought more flexibly about marriage and childbirth than in the past. However, when deciding on marriage and childbirth, survey respondents responded that economic, social, and institutional requirements were all important. It is understood that they feel burdened in the implimentation of the life course such as marriage and childbirth. Based on the foundings, this paper suggests to create an environment that can reduce the burden when individuals choose to implement the life course such as marriage or childbirth.