A study showed that unmarried women with traditional views on marriage and family had higher intentions to marry.
Three out of four single women showed a compromise between traditional and non-traditional values, and it was analyzed that not only family values but also economic conditions such as employment status and income affect the intention to marry.
According to the report 'The impact of family values of single women in their 20s to 40s on their intention to marry' (Kim Da-eun, Seoul National University) published in the academic journal of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on the 11th, this was the result of an analysis of 1,496 unmarried women using data from the 9th year of the 2022 Women and Family Panel Survey.
The average age of all subjects was 30.7 years old.
The report analyzes the subjects' answers to family values and related questions, and analyzes the following groups: ▲ 'Traditional norms-accepting type', who agrees with the need for marriage and children and recognizes marriage and family as an important path in life; ▲ 'Compromise value type', which does not show a clear position on the need for marriage and children and shows a compromise between traditional and non-traditional values; ▲ The lowest level of agreement on the need for marriage and children, high acceptance of alternative family forms, and individual's They were divided into three types, including ‘post-traditional acceptance type’ that values autonomy and achievement.
Women with eclectic values accounted for the most at 75.0%, followed by those who accepted traditional norms at 17.7% and those who accepted post-tradition at 7.4%.
There was a significant difference in intention to marry by type.
Women who accepted traditional norms had a higher intention to marry, while women who accepted post-traditional norms were more likely to have no intention of getting married or to have never thought about marriage.
Economic activity status and household income also showed a significant relationship with intention to marry.
The unemployed were more likely to have no intention of getting married than the employed, and the lower their household income was.
The report analyzed, “It shows that the intention to marry is closely related not only to socioeconomic conditions but also to differences in individual values,” and that “the intention to marry is the result of a combination of perceptions of the conditions and expectations of life after marriage.”
“It shows that marriage and family policies need to be expanded to encompass various value orientations and life paths,” he said. “Family policies that focus on childbirth based on marriage may not sufficiently reflect the value perceptions and choices of all groups, suggesting the need to reexamine the existing approach that has set marriage and childbirth as the same path.”
The report said, "We must strengthen the institutional foundation, such as creating a gender-equal family environment, alleviating career breaks, supporting housing stability, and burdening childcare so that marriage is perceived as a choice that improves the stability and quality of life rather than a burden on an individual's life."
