Perception Survey on Marriage, Childbirth, and Childcare in Four Countries: The Case of France

Abstract

This article compares perceptions among French and Korean adults regarding marriage, childbirth, and childcare, and analyzes how these two groups differ in their views on population issues. The French gave greater weight to health, housing, and work-life balance in deciding whether to have and raise children, while for Koreans the most important factor was economic conditions. Koreans were more widely concerned that childbirth would lead to constraints on freedom and reduced work opportunities. Trust in society at large was higher in France, as was the prevalence of positive perceptions of government responses to population issues. Public awareness of population policies was generally higher among the French than among Koreans. The percentage of those supporting increased government spending on related policies was also higher in France than in Korea. These findings suggest that the development and implementation of population policies should be accompanied by improvements in structural social conditions and strengthened social trust.