- Author: Kim, Hyeyoung
- Title: Social Exclusion and Discrimination against Unwed Mothers
- Language: Korean
- Journal: Gender and Culture 6, 1: 7-41
- Publication Year: 2013
- Publisher: Institute of Women's Studies
■ Abstract This study explores how many difficulties unwed mothers have experienced in terms of the Korean value system, familism and the double standard of sexuality. The exact number of unwed mothers and their children is unknown: the reason for this originates from the social norm that legitimizes pregnancy and childbirth only through the legal relation “marriage”. Sexual experience and childbirth by unmarried couples are considered to be a serious matter that brings disgrace especially to women and family. This is because of familism and sexual norms. Single mothers are branded as offenders in the sense that they disobeyed the sexual norms and gave birth outside of the sacred marriage system, which solely provides legitimacy. This condemnation not only intimidates single mothers psychologically, but also makes them feel separated from society. Nevertheless, the number of unwed mothers is currently increasing, and the child rearing ratios of single mothers are growing as well. Especially as unwed-moms who choose to rear children on their own increase, there have appeared signs of change: cracks in the familism and sexual norms. |
