Kinship and Mate Selection in Korea
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This dissertation has been 62—3577 microfilmed exactly as received CHAI, Alice Yun, 1928- KINSHIP AND MATE SELECTION IN KOREA. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1962 Anthropology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan KINSHIP AND MATE SELECTION IN KOREA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Pulflllment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy In the Graduate School of The Ohio State Univers ity By Alice Tun Chai, B, A.» M. A The Ohio State University 1962 Approved by A d v ieer Department of Sociology and Antholopology ACKBOWLEDGMEHT ■■wii I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my adviser, Dr. Irika Bourgulgnon, who guided me, assisted ie , and encouraged me through correspondence while conducting the research and preparing the nanuscript in Korea. I am also Indebted to Dr. Roscoe C. Hinkel and to Dr. Alfred C. Clarke for reading the nanuscript and for giving me helpful suggestions. My sincere appreciation is due the Asia foundation, the Graduate School, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and the International Students Office of the Ohio State University for their financial assistance which enabled me to return to the Ohio State University to complete my doctoral degree. I also extend my gratitude to the professors and the students of the Department of Sociology of Seoul Hational University and Xwha Womans U n iv e rs ity o f S eo u l, K o rea, who a s s i s te d me in c o l l e c t i n g th e d a ta . A special acknowledgment Is due my husband, HI Chang, for typing the manuscript and for giving me moral support to continue my study in the midst of bearing and rearing our two sons, Moon-Ki and Sun-K i. ii C0HT55TS Page I. Introduction.................................................................... 1 II. Kinship and Family................................................. 9 D escen t .............................. 9 Household ............. 12 R esid en ce ..................................................................................... 14 S u n g................................................................................................. 19 D o n g jo k .......................................................................................... 19 Pa ...................................................................................................... 22 Dangn&e .......................................................................................... 22 C h i n j o k .......................................................................................... 23 III. Status System within the Kin Group.............................. 26 Sex ................................................................................................... 26 Generation ................................................................................. 32 Birth Order ........... 33 IT. Factors in Mate Selection .................. 35 Dongjok Exogamy ....................................................................... 39 Family Line ................................................................................. 43 Legal Status at Birth ........................................ 49 Birth Order....................... 53 ■*«« at Marriage ..................................................................... 56 Regional O rigin....................................................................... 64 M arital Status .......................................................................... 67 iii R e lig io n ........................................................................................ 73 E d u c a t i o n..................................................................................... 73 V. Types of Mate Selection Procedure.................................. 35 Traditional Joongmae Marriage 85 Modern Joongmae Marriage ..................... 97 Love Marriage ................................................................................ 121 VI. Conclusion........................................................................ 129 Appendix A, Interview Guide..................... 13^ Appendix B, Interview Schedule.................................................... 1^4 Glossary of Korean Terms .................................................................. 152 Bibliography.............................................................................................. 156 Autobiography............................................................................................ 158 iv TABLES T a b le Page 1 Attitudes toward Childless Marriage by Educational Lerel .... 10 2 Preferences Regarding Ideal Humber of Children ....... 11 3 Household Sise by Social Class.................... 13 4 Preferences of Residence in Old Age........... 14 5 Preferences of Residence in Old Age by Social Class ................... 15 6 Attitudes toward Divorce by Educational. Level 29 7 Joint Activities of Husband-¥ife by Age ..... 30 8 Joint Activities of Husband-Vife by Educational Level .......... 31 9 Attitudes toward Domr.lok Marriage .......................... 40 10 Taugban-Sa.njmin Marriage .................... 48 11 Attitudes toward Legitimate-Illegitimate Marriages by Age Group ... 52 12 Attitudes toward Legitimate-Illegitimate Marriages by Educational Level .. 53 13 Age at Marriage of Husband.......................................... 59 14 Age at Marriage of Vlfe ................................................. 59 15 Ages of Husband and Vlfe at M arriage................... 61 16 Preferred Age at Marriage for Son & Daughter 62 17 Age Difference of Husband and Wife ............. 63 18 Frequency of M arriage...................................................... 71 19 Attitudes toward Remarriages ....................................... 72 20 Religious Intermarriages ................................................. 7*+ 21 Preferred Type of Mate Selection for Son and D aughter...................... 98 22. Relation of Bride to Introducer .................... 101 23 Length of Courtship Period...................... 109 r i IKTRODU CTION Kinship plays an important role in the life of the Koreans. One's life chances, e.g., occupational and educational opportunities, used to depend solely upon his membership in & particular kin group. Matrimony was considered an extremely serious event, not only for the individual, but for the family as a whole. In fact the Koreans believed that the decline or fall of one's family depended on the choice of one's mate. In Korea, marriage has never been the affair of the individual, but of the two families of the parties concerned. The traditional Korean marriage was basically an affair between the heads of the two fam ilies who arranged the marriage. Romantic love between a young man and a woman never entered into the parents' considerations. The personal feelings of the parties had to be sub ordinated to the choice of their elders, based on the objective characteristics of the couple. Uppermost in the minds of the parents, in arranging the marriages of their children, was the "family name" of the prospective in-law. It was not a matter of a woman m arry in g a man of her choice for her own happiness but of her marrying into the family of a man in order to produce for his family as many male successors as possible. The choice was made by elders of the woman's family who wsre more concerned about selecting the best possible family than with the man's individual characteristics. The final decision was made by the male heads of the two fam ilies without 1 2 consulting the parties who were to Harry. The opinions of an internedlary, such as a go-between or of the fortune-teller» exerted a more decisive influence on the final decision than the sentiments of the parties. A preliminary family decision, with or without the consent of the parties, used to be confirmed by a fortuneteller as a "lucky" match. Frequently, a proposed marriage would be broken off when there was an unfavorable prediction, however ideal all other considerations might have been. Although sometimes the bridegroom was allowed to see the bride at a distance before marriage, the bride was not allowed to see the bridegroom until after the wedding day. A go-between was called upon to carry out the negotiations between the two fam ilies. Approval of the parents of both parties and the fortuneteller’s prediction of the marriage were followed by an engagement. A fortuneteller was also consulted to select a "lucky day" for the wedding. Once the engagement was effected, it was considered binding. The engagement used to be regarded as having the same legal and social cohesiveness as the wedding itself. It was indeed an exceptional case when an engagement could be broken, however Justifiable the reason might appear. This was especially true for the woman, for the Confucian ethics propounded that "a woman should not serve two husbands." There were many cases of women who were forced to stay single after a broken engagement. During the past fifty years or more, the introduction of a modern educational system, and of Christianity, the results of the Japanese occupation, the United States m ilitary occupation after 3 World Var II* And the Korean War have led to the modification of some aspects of the traditional rallies, some of the heharior concern ing mate selection has also been changed. The opinions of the parties concerned carry more weight in the present pattern of arranged marriage than in the past, especially among the highly educated urban population. In contrast to the traditional system of prohibit ing any social Intercourse