Doctoral Dissertation Research: Fatherhood and Gender Roles in Families: Comparative Analysis of Chinese and Korean Families

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

Although China and South Korea share Confucian values, China has a socialist economy while South Korea has a market economy. These different types of economic and political systems translate into different policies regarding gender equality, women's employment, childcare, and housework in families. Do these different systems and policies produce differences in gender roles and family relations in the two countries? This project addresses that question by examining father's participation in childcare, the division of housework, and gender attitudes in China and South Korea. To do so, it uses quantitative data from large samples, and qualitative data from small focus groups in each nation. The results not only provide a more detailed description of national differences in gender and family roles in Asia, but also offer insights into the public policy and economic sources of these differences.