The Society of Convergence Knowledge Transactions ISSN:2287-8920(Print) 융복합지식학회논문지

This study examined living together as a couple without being married as one of the diversified family life styles as a phenomenon that emerged by accepting ‘defamiliation’ and ‘individuation’ in Korean society, where the ideology of the normal family is strong. Although the number of families living together without marriage is increasing due to changes in values, domestic research on cohabitation is still insufficient. The purpose of this thesis is to examine gender relations in the experiences of couples living together without marriage, to provide preemptive experience data by identifying gender differences in the results thereafter, and to study changes in social perception on cohabitation in Korea and social policies. To this end, a total of 10 research participants were selected to conduct an in-depth interview, in parallel with literature studies. The participants were 4 male and 6 female residents of the metropolitan area who have cohabited for 6 months or longer in their late 20s to late 40s. In cohabitation relationships, women do not inform their families and friends of their cohabitation due to the social perception of normal family, and feel much more anxious than men, because patriarchal thinking in gender relationships still remains deeply rooted. Most of research participants chose to cohabit to escape from the patriarchal family system. In addition, female participants rejected the gender role in the marriage system and wanted a more free feminine practice in cohabitation relationship. In other words, first, they chose to cohabit as an alternative form of marriage in order to avoid the burden of the marriage but to pursue a more stable relationship than dating.