육아스트레스와 비합리적 소비 - 근거이론을 적용하여 - = How Parenting Stress Shapes Irrational Consumption: A Study Using Grounded Theory

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study explores how changes in the daily lives of primary caregivers after childbirth—andthe experiences accompanying these changes—shape their consumption behaviors, using agrounded theory approach. The participants were six primary caregivers of infants and toddlersunder the age of three. Data were collected through focus group interviews, transcribed verbatim,and analyzed using grounded theory methods.
The analysis revealed that mental fatigue resulting from the labor of childcare, feelings ofloss stemming from internal and external changes, and social pressure and anxiety surroundingthe role of “mother” collectively contributed to diminished confidence across physical, emotional,and social domains, ultimately forming the central phenomenon. In this context, the majoraction–interaction strategies that emerged were substitute fulfillment and self-sacrificialparenting attitudes, which were interpreted as psychological coping mechanisms to relieveparenting stress. In other words, caregivers tended to suppress consumption for themselveswhile intensively investing in their children or experiencing satisfaction vicariously throughthem. Although such patterns provided temporary emotional relief, they eventually led toirrational consumption behaviors—such as overconsumption, concealment of consumption, andpost-purchase guilt—which in turn intensified family conflicts.
These findings indicate a cyclical structure in which parenting stress leads to irrationalconsumption, and such consumption further exacerbates economic and emotional burdens. Thus, consumption should be understood not merely as an economic activity but as a means ofpsychological compensation and identity restoration. Particularly, caregivers’ consumptionbehaviors reflect complex meanings that extend beyond rational decision-making, serving asresponses to social expectations, expressions of emotion, and mechanisms of self-recovery.
Therefore, irrational consumption among caregivers should not be viewed solely as an impulsivepersonal choice but rather as a psychological and social reaction to parenting stress.
Finally, this study has limitations in that it primarily focused on female primary caregivers.
Future research should include diverse caregiver types and broader sociocultural contexts tomore comprehensively examine the relationship between parenting stress and consumption behavior.