This study was conducted to observe the level of national discourse of Family in the 1950s', which was an important period in the history of family. The existence of family was greatly threatened when living conditions deteriorated due to war. The dea...
This study was conducted to observe the level of national discourse of Family in the 1950s', which was an important period in the history of family. The existence of family was greatly threatened when living conditions deteriorated due to war. The dead, wounded soldiers, dispersed families, war orphans and war widows completely changed the reality of the family. In addition, division of the country, population move and economic poverty were also factors that harmed the stability of the family structure. Accordingly, cohabitation and bigamy became a big social problem. Family in the 1950s became a very important agenda in the society.
In this social situation, the country had to relieve the instability of postwar family structure and establish family order that met the new national order. However, the single 'national purpose' that existed transcendentally was not accomplished one-sidedly, but was formed while operating the concrete reality and diverse discourses together. The history of family in the 1950s was analyzed as the following.
Firstly, in the history of family in school curriculums, the modern nuclear family that met the new national order was illustrated as the ideal form of family, while the traditional family rules were emphasized for family ethics. At the time, extended family was criticized in textbooks, and husband-and-wife-centered nuclear family was stressed. This was because change into efficient family was demanded to meet the capitalism order. Also, as gender inequality was brought up as the 'characteristic of feudalism'ever since the Japanese imperialism, rules for women, such as the "Samjongjido" (three ways of the women: to follow her father, husband, and her son), was not emphasized. But, while the equality of husband and wife was affirmed, its implementation in the family was reserved. The patriarchal family order was wrapped up in tradition and laudable custom in contrast with the west by emphasizing ancestor worship and filial piety. This could be considered to take from Confucianism, but at the same time the result of sense of crisis of the patriarchal society towards the change in postwar family order. The theory of family in school curriculums was formed under demands for new concept of family and to meet the changing reality.
Secondly, family in Family Law reflected gender equality that is stated in the constitution and determination to establish a modern family structure based on monogamy. The Family Law at that time intended to stabilize the family structure through implementation of legalized marriage, and guarantee legal status of women to partially implement gender equalization, but it was far from implementing modern nuclear family in the legal system. Enabling entry of child born of concubine in the family register without consent from the spouse unsettled the monogamous family structure. By forming those within the same family register as family based on the family head, rather than centering the family on husband-and-wife, an abstract concept of family was produced. The new civil law weakened the rights of the family head by separating fortune inheritance and abolishing the right of fortune inheritance. Despite the fact that the actual rights of the householder were cut down and left as a symbolic significance, the reason the patriarchal family registry system is kept is to relate family with capitalism and democracy. In other words, as change from the traditional ancestor worshipping family unit to husband-and-wife centered family was intended, ancestral succession was not regulated as a law and the rights of the householder were cut down. But, as the result of compromise between demand for patriarchal system and idealized view on husband-and-wife centered modern family, patriarchal family structure that was discussed as the 'tradition' continued to exist through the symbolic householder.
Thirdly, familyin the movement to improve life took on the characteristics of modern family reform, as it can be seen through the slogan, 'rationalization, science, simplify'. Family reform in the movement to improve life did not produce as much conflict as in the process of enacting the new civil law and textbooks. This shows that there existed social consent on changing the physical environment of the family to be modern, unlike the family standard issue. Family reform in the movement to improve life was not that active, but showed the direction of the national policy on family. The country placed importance on modern reform of family as an actual living unit, not an abstract family.
Fourthly, in the family in the 1950s, women's role as a 'wise mother and good wife' was important. Women's role in domestic chores was important in women's education and life reform. As vocational education became important, it went side by side with 'wise mother and good wife' education, but it did not oppose to the role of women in a family. What is important is that despite the fact that a woman must be guaranteed the status of a wife and mother to become a 'wise mother and good wife', the law did not guarantee this. Divorce procedure was made easy, and this enabled men to get a divorce their own way, and enter children born in extramarital affairs into the family register without the wife's consent. Accordingly, women in families in the 1950s performed contradictory roles.
In this study, family, which was in the middle of social changes in the 1950s,was observed based on national discourse. This will help people understand how the fixed appearance of family was established when various demands and prospects clashed in the society. In conclusion, in the 1950s, the country stabilized the family structure that was in crisis after the war, and established modern family that me the new capitalism. The understanding of patriarch was established in the discourse that patriarch was the 'tradition'. With this, the belief towards modern family (restored as tradition) and patriarchal system were compromised in the legal system and curriculum to emphasize the small-family model that establishes the theory of direct descent of family. The modern small-family model was considered to be most important in the family reform discourse. Accordingly, the abstract family in the national family discourse in 1950s placed importance on tradition, and family as an actually living unit placed importance on modernity.