The Effects of Social Family Resources on the Well being of Single-Parent Households in Korea

한부모가족 사회적 자원의 삶의 질에 대한 효과 분석

To improve family well-being of single-parents, the utilization of familial social resources-including formal supports, informal supports, and social capital-has become one of the most important family resource management issues. The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of familial social resources of single-parent households with those of two-parent households and to investigate the differences according to three factors, specifically poverty, family types by gender and age of parent, and householders' employment. In addition, the determinants of single-parent households' wellbeing were analyzed from two perspectives: economic wellbeing and psychological life satisfaction. Data from the 5th wave of the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) were used. The major findings were as follows. First, single-parent households utilized their familial social resources more actively than their counterparts, especially in terms of the formal support of child care. Second, single parent households utilized their familial social resources differently in relation to poverty, family types, and parents' employment. Third, the determinants of economic wellbeing and psychological life satisfaction were different according types of familial social resources. Based on these empirical results, policy implications for the future economic wellbeing of baby boomers were provided.