NORTH KOREA FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD PATTERNS

By NIGRITIAN CHIEF OF THE FREE WORLD

General Characteristics of Agricultural, Industrial, and Information Age Family/Household Patterns

• Agricultural Age Family/Household Patterns:

  Extended family; several gerneration living and working together on the land

• Industrial Age Family/Household Patterns:

  The Nuclear family, father working, mother at home not working, and approximately two children for middle and upper classes in developed West. Also nuclear family in lower class West and socialist countries, except that women worked

• Information Age Family/Household Patterns:

  Multiple family patterns, no one model everyone must follow to be socially accepted. married couples with or without children; unmarried couples living together; single parents; divorced parents with children who remarry, making children part of different households; people living in groups; gay and lesbian couples; ect.

Information/Data on North Korea Family/Household Patterns: The Korean family philosophy and culture was forced upon them from China in the fifteen century. The Koreans family played a central role for influencing an indivdual's attitude and behavior in their society. In Korea the family has the task of being responsive to a individual needs. However, the Korean ideas of family life was "five generations under one roof". Now, there are three generations, of Koreans who are residing under one roof the parents, childern, and grand children. Although the western style nuclear family in increasing, the traditional family relationships are changing in North and South Korea. Obedience within the family is less strict and formal. Neverthelss, it is normal for the parents to live with the eldest son. The respect of the elder son for his parents is still growing strong

Traditional Bibliographic Sources on North Korea Family/ Household Patterns

• CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
• CULTURGRAM '96 North Korea
• NORTH KOREA a country study., Federal Research Division Library of Congress. Edited by Andrea Matles Savada