조선후기 입양의 시점과 범위에 대한 분석 (An analysis on the time and range of adoption in the late Chosun dynasty)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 성균관대학교 대동문화연구원
· 수록지 정보 : 대동문화연구 / 62호 / 45 ~ 73페이지
· 저자명 : 권내현

초록

이 논문은 조선후기 입양의 양상을 구체적으로 분석한 것이다. 17세기 후반 이후 부계 중심의 가족, 친족 질서가 확립되어 나가면서 당대인들은 안정적인 가계 계승을 위해 입양을 적극적으로 수용하였다. 조선전기와는 다른 가계 계승을 위한 입양의 확산 과정이나 그 대상자의 범위 확대에 대해서는 기존 연구에서 이미 언급되었다. 이 논문은 여기에서 나아가 입양이 확산되는 과정에서 나타나는 가계 단절의 문제와 입양 시점에서 양부와 양자의 연령 현황, 입양 대상자의 혈연적․지리적 범위를 분석해 보고자 하였다. 이를 위해 족보 외에도 호적 자료가 비교적 잘 남아있는 한 가문을 선택하여 가계의 계승과 단절 양상, 입양에 대한 주관적 인식의 편린과 현실적 조건 및 제약의 내용을 검토해 보았다.

영어초록

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.

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