Gendering places: residential technology and changing family relations in Korea

This research is based on the understanding that the house form shapes and is shaped by predominant socio-cultural values and norms. The study outlines how the physical evolution of the Korean house form, specifically its heating system called the ondol, has been part of Korean women's lives since the fourteenth century. In particular, however, I focus on the twentieth century. I first describe how the physical structure of the Korean house and the ondol evolved in conjunction with larger societal changes during this period, arguing that these technological changes have substantially influenced the everyday practices of women, the social interactions among family members at home, and women's experiences of being at home. Second, and in order to provide more in-depth analysis of these interactions, I look to the results of 30 interviews with Korean American seniors. This study suggests that the living experiences of the residents were variously affected by their gender and generational relationships within the family.