한국 가족개념에 관한 질적 연구 = Qualitative Research on the Concepts of Family in Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study was designed to qualitatively explore the concepts of family of today in Korea. Of qualitative research methods, the phenomenology method was utilized and the data was analyzed by the thematic analysis method. The data was collected in June and July of 2000, from 20 people, either married, divorced, or never married. They were 10 male, 10 female; age ranged from 31 years to 40 years; all college graduated or more; all professionals or housekeepers. The results can be summarized as co-existence of traditionalism and liberalism, and of individualism and familism in explaining the phenomena of today`s family. Emotional support appeared the most valuable function of family. When the family resists to function, then the family will breakup. They also anticipated that this function seem to be the only function in the future family. Paradoxically, internet was seen as a valuable medium in reducing the distance among relatives in different places. Based on the overall results, it is evident that the future family will exist as an organic open system freely responding to various social changes, and promoting individual development and valuing the emotional support among family members will be settled as a new ideology for family.