The impact of religious faith on family planning in South Korea

Abstract

"According to W. Świątkiewicz (1998: 10): “Family is the most important, and, at the same time, the smallest particle of social life.” Currently, the social reality of many countries features many kinds of families, from a family established in a traditional manner by concluding marriage to alternative forms such as: cohabitation relationship (Kwak 2005; Slany 2006; Juszczyk‑Frelkiewicz 2014) both heterosexual and homosexual (Merin 2002), homosexual marriage (Cahill 2004) and reconstructed families (Kwak 2000: 78–99; Jundziłł 2006: 305–313) (the socalled patchwork family) (Kowalska 2007: 78–80). The scale of presence and legal possibility of establishing these kinds of families depends on what forms of alternative relationships are legally acknowledged in a given country. They also depend on the dominant religious denomination, secularization, individualization, autonomization, industrialization, IT introduction, social allowance, social tolerance and acceptance towards alternative lifestyles. The preferred type of establishing a family and right age for concluding marriage depend on many socio‑cultural determinants, personal preferences and life situation." […] (fragm.)