Generational Differences in Korean Baby-Delivery Culture between Young Mother and Grandmother Generations

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association 2000;38(8):99-110.

출산 풍속에서 모 - 조모의 세대간 차이 연구

유안진, 민하영

서울대학교 생활과학대학 아동, 가족학과, 서울대학교 생활과학대학 아동, 가족학과

Generational Differences in Korean Baby-Delivery Culture between Young Mother and Grandmother Generations

유안진, 민하영

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in traditional baby-delivery practices between young mother and grandmother generations. The subjects were 118 young mothers and 118 their own mothers or mothers-in-law in Tae Gu district. Young mothers had the first baby aged from 2-to 2.5-year-old. The subjects answered the questionnaires on Korean traditional baby-delivery practices developed by the researchers based on literature reviews. The data were analyzed using Frequencies, Percentages, Crosstabs, and t-test. The results of this study were as follows: 1. More grandmothers believed in supernatural being who influenced pregnancy and used to be called as 'grandma Sam Shin', expected to have son, and had charms then young mothers. But less grandmothers had sexual intercourse at the time of ovulation, took physical care, and practiced fetal education than young mothers 2. On the other hand, no generation differences were found in dreaming of foretelling conception(Te Mong), eating a restroative and food to get pregnancy, and washing own's hair or body and avoiding attending a funeral near the time of baby-delivery. 3. Most of young mothers gave birth in hospital with the doctor's heap, whereas most of grandmothers did at their home with the help of the experienced old women. Most of young mothers'husbands were at the waiting room in the hospital, but about half of grandmothers'husbands were at work when their wives grove birth.