Ultra-low fertility in South Korea: The role of the tempo effect

Yoo, Sam Hyun; Sobotka, Tomáš

doi:10.4054/demres.2018.38.22

Cited by 39 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…In this article, we evaluate the marriage market mismatch scenario in South Korea (Korea, hereafter), a society where decline in marriage and associated reduction in the total fertility rate (TFR) have been particularly rapid (Park and Lee 2017;Yoo and Sobotka 2018), women's relative educational attainment has increased dramatically (Park 2007), and historical norms and patterns of spouse pairing show a strong tendency for marriages to be educationally homogamous or female hypergamous (Park and Smits 2005;Smits and Park 2009). This combination of characteristics, along with growth in international marriages, makes Korea a particularly interesting setting in which to evaluate the implications of changes in marriage market composition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marriage Decline in Korea: Changing Composition of the Domestic Marriage Market and Growth in International Marriage

Raymo

Park

2020

Demography

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Explanations for the substantial decline in rates of marriage in East Asian countries often emphasize the role of rapid educational expansion for women in reducing the desirability of marriages characterized by a strong gender-based division of labor. Focusing on South Korea, we consider a very different scenario in which changing educational composition of the marriage market reduces the demographic feasibility of such marriages. Analyses of 1 % microsamples of the 1990 and 2010 Korean censuses show that changes in the availability of potential spouses accounted for part of the decline in marriage rates over a period of 20 years (1985-1989 to 2005-2009) for highly educated women and less-educated men. We also show that growth in international marriages played a role in preventing an even more dramatic decline in marriage among low-educated men. These findings support the general relevance of marriage market mismatches in gender-inegalitarian societies and highlight the declining feasibility of marriage for low-educated men in such contexts. Findings also hint at important implications for inequality in a society such as Korea, where marriage remains a symbol of social success and is closely related to women's economic well-being and men's health and subjective well-being.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marriage Decline in Korea: Changing Composition of the Domestic Marriage Market and Growth in International Marriage

Raymo

Park

2020

Demography

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“…As the latter effects persisted for some time, parts of the "tempo" impact became permanent "quantum" losses due to rising levels of lifelong singlehood (and thus, of childlessness) in this region. Such patterns have been observed in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea (Yoo and Sobotka 2018;Frejka and Ross 2001;Jones 2007;Frejka et al 2010). These rapid fertility transitions occurred during times of tremendous economic growth and female empowerment in the region.…”

Section: Rapid Fertility Decline Within Four Decadesmentioning

confidence: 78%

Ultra-low fertility in East Asia: Confucianism and its discontents

Cheng¹

2020

Populationyearbook

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This study reviews the institutional factors that have influenced the fertility and family trends in five East Asian societies that experienced a precipitous transition to very low fertility: China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. The paper begins by outlining the unique family formation patterns of these societies and the existing explanations for their observed ultra-low fertility levels. In particular, it highlights the role of Confucian culture, which emphasises patriarchal values and credentialism, in shaping the current state of low fertility in East Asia. For example, the ways in which Confucianism affects women's roles at home, the effectiveness of pronatalist policies and the burden of human capital investments among parents are discussed. With these contextual factors and the current very low fertility rates as a backdrop, this study also examines attitudinal changes in marriage and family values that have taken place in these societies after the new millennium. These changes could further erode the traditional family and influence family formation trends in the future. The article concludes by discussing recent policy responses and the possible future of fertility in East Asia.

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“…However, in the EFL context of Korea, as Kent and Lee (2018) posit, the contradiction remains that many NES language instructors are employed without teaching qualifications and then often remain starved of professional development opportunities. In light of this, there is clearly a need for the development and implementation of professional development for NES language instructors in the Korean tertiary sector (KOTESOL, 2019), particularly if institutions are serious about providing quality education to an ever-shrinking client base (Yoo & Sobotka, 2018). The latter of which is becoming an important aspect for instructors to understand, as with fewer students there will be fewer teaching positions available, resulting in higher competition involved in both securing and keeping a job.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Necessary for meeting student learning needs, particularly in the light of a decreasing population of local students (Yoo & Sobotka, 2018), is the role of teacher professional development. This is tied to classroom observation in the Korean EFL teaching context (Choi & Park, 2016;Jung, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%