조선후기 입양의 시점과 범위에 대한 분석

Abstract

One of the greatest concerns for the Yangban society in the late Chosun dynasty is succession and preservation of family through the eldest son born in lawful wedlock. In the late 17th century, adoption began to gain popularity because principles of family succession based on a clan rule dominated their consciousness. At that time, for the Yangban who didn't have a son, adoption was not a choice but a must. However, there were some family members who couldn't succeed the family in spite of widespread of adoption. It was because each family member started to consider adoption at different timings. In addition, the rate of the family extinction was so high among family members who didn't have nephews in direct line to adopt or who didn't consider adopting relatives who removed more than 11 degrees. So the fact that they didn't have any relatives to adopt had a great influence on the family extinction. In many cases, adoptees didn't have one of the fathers. Even if they were both alive, they were in their late 50s. It was because they tried to have their own baby for quite a long time before adopting a son. However, there were actually more cases of adopting after the death of the adoptive father than we expect. It was because he was highly likely to die in his youth or suddenly while he was still looking for a son who would succeed the family line. Many adoptive mothers were still alive at the time when adopting a son after the death of adoptive fathers. Most adoptive sons were in their 20s at the time when they were adopted. This means that the target for adoption was limited to adults who could get guarantee of succeeding the family line. Most adoptive mothers were in their 50s to 60s. That is to say, when most adoptive mothers considered adopting after the death of their husbands, they chose nephews of the couples whose age difference between themselves was about 30, one generation. Most adoptive fathers and biological fathers were brothers. The trend of adopting sons from their own brothers became less popular than before, but 35.6% of all adoptive sons were sons of their own brothers, which mean their own nephews. When the range of adoption is extended to sons of up to third cousins, rather close relatives, the adoption rate reaches to 77.8% in average. When we consider the exchanges of adoptees, in 42.2% of cases, adoptive father and biological father were brothers and in 89.9% of cases, they were relatives of 8 degrees removed. That is to say, despite the fact that adoption was the common interest of the Yangban society as well as individual families, the range of adoption was eventually limited due to the relative degree of intimacy of blood ties. Which son was adopted shows clearly the relations between adoption and family intimacy. The first son was adopted to succeed the older brother's family. The second son was adopted to the family whose host is his father's brother or relatives four times removed. The third son was adopted to relative who were more than 4times removed. Preference of adoptive father also had an influence on the choice of adoptees, but family intimacy had far more influence on it. The tendency to choose the adoptees who were closer to the family had influence on the native place of adoptees. We found out that 67.6% of adoptee's adoptive father and biological father lived in the same village. By this, adoptive father and the adoptee could reduce the difference coming from the new relationship, and could build up the bond of the village and the family.