본고는 1970년대, 1980년대 이후 가족변화에 대한 사회구조적 접근을 모색하면서 최근에 불거진 가족 위기론을 비판적으로 검토하고 가족을 둘러싼 사회구조적 환경의 변화와 이에 따른 가족의 변화 및 적응이라는 관점에서 가족위기 지표를 재해석하는데 중점을 두었다. 연구결과에 따르면, 첫째, 최근 가족위기의 지표로 출산율 감소와 이혼율 증가 등이 강조되고 있으나 오히려 가족변화의 근본적 동인은 주로 20대 후반 연령계층의 교육수준의 향상과 경제활동참가율의 증가에 따른 혼인건수 감소에서 비롯되고 있었다. 둘째, 최근의 가족을 둘러싼 급격한 위기양상은 가족 내부적 변화보다는 경제 위기와 노동시장 구조조정에 따른 고용불안정에 의해 결과되었다. 셋째, 이혼은 젊은 연령층의 결혼관계나 가족안정성에 대한 경시보다는 점차 행복치 않은 결혼관계의 대안이 되고 있다. 따라서 혼인 감소, 출산율 감소, 이혼율 증가를 가족위기로만 부각하기보다는 사회환경 변화에 따른 개인과 가족의 적응으로 관점을 전환할 필요가 있다. 또한 결혼과 출산을 증가시키고 이혼율을 떨어뜨릴 수 있는 보다 현실적인 방안은 그 자체로서 결혼관계 형성이나 출산 의무, 성별 역할 순응을 강조할 것이 아니라, 평등과 자율성에 기반한 가족관계속에서 자녀출산과 양육을 안정적으로 할 수 있는 사회적 환경을 조성하는 것이다. 마지막으로 본 연구는 현대사회의 고질적 문제로 제기되고 있는 출산율 감소와 사회적 부양부담 증가, 빈곤가구 증가라는 이중 혹은 삼중의 질곡을 해결하기 위해서는 여성들의 경제활동참가율 제고가 필요함을 역설하고 이를 위한 사회적 대책을 제시하였다.

The study proposes that the rate of fertility decline and the rate of divorce increase are not appropriate indicators to present the family crisis in Korea. People have recently tended to exaggerate or overemphasize the decreasing fertility rate and the increasing divorce rate to appeal the changing nature of family structure and functions. The study is to trace the changes of family lives along with socio-economic structures from 1970s to 2000s and to reconsider the indicators of family crisis from the perspective of family change and adaptation. Results show that, first, the fundamental factor of family change is the decline of marriage rate among late 20s, who delay marriage or are not marriageable because of the expanding educational years and increasing labor market participation. Second, the economic crisis of 1997, followed by the high rate of unemployment and the unstability of labor market, is another major factor to bring about the negative phenomena in family formation and maintenance. Third, the sharply increasing divorce rate does not indicate that young people, based on individualism, refuse family stability and cohesion. Rather it comes to be an alternative of unhappy marriage across all age groups. Therefore, we need to re-conceptualize the fertility decline and the divorce increase, not as indicators of family crisis but as family adaptation associated with the changes of demographic, social, and economic structures. Finally, the study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive social policies for women to facilitate their participation of labor market along with the childcare, in order to solve the reduction of workable population and the increase of social care burden in the aging society.

The study proposes that the rate of fertility decline and the rate of divorce increase are not appropriate indicators to present the family crisis in Korea. People have recently tended to exaggerate or overemphasize the decreasing fertility rate and the increasing divorce rate to appeal the changing nature of family structure and functions. The study is to trace the changes of family lives along with socio-economic structures from 1970s to 2000s and to reconsider the indicators of family crisis from the perspective of family change and adaptation. Results show that, first, the fundamental factor of family change is the decline of marriage rate among late 20s, who delay marriage or are not marriageable because of the expanding educational years and increasing labor market participation. Second, the economic crisis of 1997, followed by the high rate of unemployment and the unstability of labor market, is another major factor to bring about the negative phenomena in family formation and maintenance. Third, the sharply increasing divorce rate does not indicate that young people, based on individualism, refuse family stability and cohesion. Rather it comes to be an alternative of unhappy marriage across all age groups. Therefore, we need to re-conceptualize the fertility decline and the divorce increase, not as indicators of family crisis but as family adaptation associated with the changes of demographic, social, and economic structures. Finally, the study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive social policies for women to facilitate their participation of labor market along with the childcare, in order to solve the reduction of workable population and the increase of social care burden in the aging society.

family crisis, fertility decline, divorce rate, marriage rate, alternative families, family disruption