Changes in Korean College Students’ Perceptions of Marriage, Childbirth, and Family Composition : Focusing on Lakoff’s Cognitive Frame Theory

This study derived restructured cognitive frames through quantitative and qualitative analyses of Korean college students' perceptions of marriage, childbirth, and family composition and frame analysis based on George Lakoff's cognitive linguistics theory.In a Google survey targeting 85 college students taking an M course at D University, significant differences were found in the consideration of social and economic conditions for marriage by major through t-test, regression analysis, and cluster analysis, and agreement with the statement that marriage is the completion of love was a variable that significantly increased the probability of choosing not to marry, indicating that Korean college students' life strategies are unfolding differently from the existing traditional marriage, childbirth, and family composition.Secondary qualitative analysis, conducted through interviews with 35 free-response respondents and an analysis of eight representative tendencies and frames, revealed insights into conceptual metaphor, prototype movement, and frame reconstruction regarding Korean college students' marriage, childbirth, and family composition derived from five restructured cognitive frames.As a result, it was revealed that Korean college students are making strategic choices based on complex values such as autonomy, relationship diversity, and awareness of economic reality, moving away from the traditional marriage, childbirth, and family framework.Therefore, when establishing future family policies for young people, including Korean college students, it is necessary to design flexible policies that reflect their cognitive structure and life narratives, moving away from the traditional systemcentered approach.