Intergenerational Differences in the Satisfaction with Co-Residence: A Study of Korean Extended Families

Abstract

This research examines differences between the elderly and their co-residing married children on the level of satisfaction with living together in an extended family. Data are analyzed from interviews with 94 pairs of mothers-in-law aged 60 and over and co-residing daughters-in-law in Seoul, Korea. According to the differences of the perception of benefits between the two generations, the subjects are divided into four groups: (1) mother-in-law-benefited type; (2) daughter-in-law-benefited type; (3) both-highly-benefited type; and (4) both-lowly-benefited type. The overall results show that mothers-in-law tend to perceive more benefits from co-residence with their adult children and report a higher level of satisfaction than daughters-in-law. The levels of satisfaction with co-residence for each generation are different by type. Both generations in the both-highly-benefited type and daughter-in-law-benefited type reported higher satisfaction and a lower generation gap in the level of satisfaction than any other types. Suggestions for policies which improve the quality of intergenerational relationships are noted.