Abstract

• Since there is nothing in the literature regarding how Koreans value their children, this is an exploratory study attempting to (1) generate ideas as to why women of child- bearing age want children and (2) discover aspects of the interaction between the value of children and the fertility behavior according to socio-economic class and level of education. Fifty women from the Yonhee A Citizen's Apartment and 50 women from the slum area Surrounding the Yonhee Apartment were interviewed by the investigator during the period of October 10 to October 25, 1972. All of the women interviewed were under 35 years of age and had more than one child. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the general characteristics of the respondents, the status of current family planning practice, the number of induced abort- ions and the reasons for wanting children. An open ended question followed by a forced choice question was the method used to determine the reasons for wanting children. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Half of all the respondents were between 30 and 34 years of age. 2. Four percent of die respondents had no schooling, 51 percent had graduated from primary school, and 45 percent were educated beyond middle school. 3. The most important reasons for wanting children given by the respondents were categorized as follows: (1) carrying on the family name, (2) old age security, (3)value of life, (4) fun of rearing children, (5) avoidance of loneliness, (6) responsibility of women. 4. The number of consistent answers between the open ended and forced choice questions regarding reasons for wanting children was significantly different. Only 30 women among the total respondents gave consistent answers. Carrying on the family name was the category in which there was the highest rate of consistency. 5. The reasons for wanting children were not significantly different for age, educational level, and number of living children for all of the respondents. 6. In response to the question "If you want to have only one child, which sex would you prefer?" 96 percent of the respondents said they would select a son. 7. Major suggestions for further study were to differentiate. (1) between reasons women want children and reasons women have children and (2) between reasons men want children and reasons women want children.

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