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KMID : 0368019880110030355
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Journal of Soonchunhyang University
1988 Volume.11 No. 3 p.355 ~ p.374
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An Anthropological Study on the Role of Women Before & After Family Planning Practice in Rural Korea
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Baek Kwi-Soon
Bang Sook
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Abstract
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1. Since its introduction in the 1960’s, the family planning acceptance rate has gradually increased(8% in 1962 to 70.4% in 1985), thus contributing to reduced fertility. Most of the research on family planning have attested to this high acceptance rate. This case study focuses on the socio-cultural significance of family planning acceptane in the changing role of women who are primary responsible for child bearing Data collection was based on the method of anthropological investigation(participatory observation and interview). This study was conducted on Family Planning Acceptors who resided in Eumseong County, where Soonchunhyang University has been operating its community health program since 1985.
2. For this study, a distinction was made between the pre-stage of family planning acceptance by the individual woman and the post-stage. The antecedent factors for accepting family planning were examined in terms of the social characteristics of the community. The consquences of family planning practice were studied on changes in the family structure, preference for having less children, enhancement of educational standards, and changes in the expected role of women.
3. In consideration of the general characteristics of the community influencing FP, the study found that acceptance of FP can be affected by a woman’s role and status within the family to which she belongs. When we examine the correlation between FP acceptance and the women’s role in terms of the child-bearing, economic, domestic, and social activity participation, the results show that the primary reasons for adopting FP were sex preference and the intention to have less children. The important value in rearing children lies in the expectation of rewards from them in the parent’s old age, Even though they think a small number of children is desirable, they also think it is better to get pregnant in the absence of a son. The woman’s other roles, i.e, economic, domestic, and social activity participant’s roles were not significantly related to the adoption of FP methods.
4. However, women’s roles among FP acceptors have greatly changed with the practice of family planning. The family size has been reduced, and this led to changes in family structure along with shifts in industrial & economic structure, which, in turn, has been changing women’s role within the family structure, For example, the child bearing period between the first and last child has also been shortened, so that the time devoted to child-rearing has also been consequently shortened.
Women living in the study area(rural area) took part in farming, thus playing an economic role. So, time which had been used for child bearing and rearing in the past has been transferred to farming. But toward satisfying the economic demands of the family. It can be re-emphasized here that women work primariy to meet economic needs.
5. While more women with less children pay attention to and have a tendency of enhancing the quality of their children and also their health care, there are not enough time and the less financial resources to support their high enthusiasm in keeping child health.
6. In short, the study findings show that the family size & family structure have been greatly affected by birth control, and practices which have led to the increase of small-sized & effect between FP practice & the changed role of women calls for further study on more quantitative research on this area, as well as its comparison between women in rural and urban communities.
7. An ethnographic study such as this paper, will be a great help in setting a hypothesis for a macro-survey in evaluating the effects of family planning programs on family welfare of individual women in this county.
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