Gender, work and care in policy and practice: Working mothers’ experience of intergenerational exchange of care in South Korea

Abstract

This article aims to uncover working mothers' experiences in relation to intergenerational exchange of care and support in South Korea. It examines the impact of Confucian gender ideology on the operation of intergenerational reciprocity within the Korean family. Increasing numbers of working mothers make intergenerational exchange of care between working mothers and their family members an important issue. Although studies have focused on the importance of the Confucian virtue of filial piety in intergenerational support, little research has explored the influence of Confucian gender ideology on working mothers' experiences of intergenerational exchange from a gender perspective. This article aims to fill this research gap by exploring the experiences of Korean working mothers in the intergenerational exchange of care. It draws on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 30 married women in paid employment in Seoul, Korea, carried out in 2014. This article argues that traditional gender expectations of married women's responsibility for parents-in-law persist regarding intergenerational reciprocity, despite recent development of policies for care.

Older People’s Long-Term Care Preferences in China: The Impact of Living with Grandchildren on Older People’s Willingness and Family Decisions

“…Family intergenerational exchanges maintain bidirectional, dynamic, and continuous transmissions [24]. As resources and power flow between generations, current support helps motivate future intergenerational exchanges [18].…”

“…In line with previous evidence, our results showed that traditional gender roles are salient [47], especially regarding more age characteristics, family function, and family intimacy. Traditionally, women have played the role of primary family caregivers, especially in Confucian cultures in Eastern countries [18]. Compared to men, women take on more responsibility for household chores and provide more care for grandchildren.…”

“…The focus was on the reciprocity exchange and differences in responsibilities among the three generations and their connections in different genders or marital statuses due to the cultural significance of Confucian tradition. It is essential to analyze the effect of traditional gender roles and filial piety when discussing intergenerational reciprocity in China [18].…”