Structure and cultural factors in marital power relations of Korean American families

Family scholars have examined decision-making patterns in American families from a structural or cultural perspective. While both have provided insights into the dynamics of decision-making patterns, this study employs both the structural and cultural perspectives to investigate decision-making power in Korean American families in California. Utilizing the Korean American Health Survey conducted in 2008, this study develops and estimates eight binary logistic regression models to predict twin dependent variables. They are egalitarian decision-making power in household management and parenting. Results show that while educational attainment and nuclear family structure predict egalitarian decision-making in household management, the same variables plus frequency of prayer predict egalitarian decision-making in parenting. Implications of these research findings are discussed.