An Investigation into Mid-life as it is Perceived by Middle Aged Korean Men
AUTHOR : 김경은,곽금주,민하영,최지영,전숙영
INFORMATION : page. 135~155 / 2011 Vol.18 No.3
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate mid-life as it is perceived by middle aged Korean men and
to determine whether any differences in terms of the perception of mid-life exist according to age. The
participants were 852 men who were aged between 35-59 with jobs in Seoul or Gyeonggi Province. The
data collected were analyzed by Means, Standard Deviations, Frequencies, ANOVA, and χ2 tests, using
SPSS 17.0. The results of this study were as follows: First, middle aged men believed that middle age
begins from one’s early 40s and ends in one’s mid 50s. 70% of the middle aged men surveyed saw
themselves as being middle aged. However, they saw themselves as being much younger than their actual
chronological age. Most middle aged men saw mid-life in negative terms, rather than viewing it in
positive or neutral terms. Most middle aged men believed economic stability was the most important
developmental task of mid-life. Economic burdens were ranked as the most pressing difficulty facing of
middle aged men, followed by emotional problems, followed finally by the issue of their children\'s
education. Second, there are slightly significant differences in the perception of mid-life by ages.
Perceptions as to when middle age starts or end tended to increase with age. Most men in their 30s
didn\'t recognize themselves as being middle aged because they were still perceived themselves to be both
young and energetic. Compared with men in their 30s, and 40s, men in their 50s experienced difficulties
in coping with changes in family relationships.