조선후기 평민층 입양관행의 변화와 그 의미 - 『수양·시양등록』을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Examined in this article is the Suyang·Shiyang Deung’rok, which was a census register of adoption cases reported by low-level Yangban houses as well as households above & below the commoner class. Over 500 cases are collected in this register, and in this article they are categorized into three types of adoption: Paternal cases(cases in which paternal relatives were adopted), Non-paternal cases, and also Cases with No blood relationships. The first case took place in 1684, while the last one did in 1751, so they are examined through total of four stages. General statistics show that cases of ‘Paternal adoption’ occupy 78.2% of the entire group, and that it was indeed the dominantly popular form of adoption. The other two types of adoption, which were ‘Non-paternal adoption’ and ‘adoption of individuals without any blood ties,’ showed similar percentages of occupancy. In the Paternal adoption cases, there were twice as many cases involving Yangban families compared to cases that involved commoner households and below, while the two other types of adoption showed more cases coming from commoners and lowborn families, with exceptionally frequent appearances of ‘bloodless’ adoptions in the commoner households. Meanwhile, the overall percentage of Paternal adoption cases seems to have been on a continuous rise, while the other two types of adoption were gradually decreasing. A sharp descent in the number of non-paternal adoption cases can be identified as well. In general, it could be said that Suyang·Shiyang Deung’rok is showing a specific trend that had originated among the upper class members of the society during the early half of the Joseon dynasty period starting to spread to lower members of the Yangban class as well as the commoner households and below. We can see the society’s overall consciousness of the concept of bloodline as well as the general practice of adoption were evolving to fit the Confucian clan order.