• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.81-107
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• 2009

This study is to understand, in the view of resilience, the experience of military widows, whose husbands died while on active military duty and have lived as single mothers for a long time. This study using a qualitative research method based on Phenomenology, especially using Colaizzi's process of data analysis. 99 meaningful sentences, 26 themes, and 10 theme clusters has been categorized from the interview of 9 military widows, who has been participated a self-help group for them. The 10 theme clusters are 'denial and grief over the death of spouse', 'ambivalence over the duty of their husbands', 'acceptance of the helpless fate and arduous fight to live', 'sorrow in the social and historical context', 'responsibility and endeavoring of parenting', 'self-existential challenge', 'immanent belief system as a military widow'. 'effort to find self-identity in the outer systems', 'wish to reassure their existence', and 'to find the meaning of life after husband's dead'. These their self respect and feeling of honor have become their belief system in their life, which they have raised their children and take their responsibilities with their best effort. The self-help group has helped them to find their self-identity and has sustained emotionally healthy. This group has been also empowering them through their voices being heard to the outside society. They have made an effort which their existence is recognized by the country and the military system. The findings of this study can be used as a system to gather opinions and to provide information and program which may be accepted politically and then applicable and integrated social work service through the social support system and networking.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.325-334
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• 2023

The invasive red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, is native to south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. Recently, it has been being spreading in the wild in South Korea. However, its primary sources, introduction routes, establishment, and expansion in South Korea remain unclear. Here, we analyzed genetic diversity and population genetic structures of its domestic natural populations during early invasion, commercial stock from local aquaria (a suspected introduction source), and original United States population using mitochondrial COI gene sequences for 267 individuals and eight microsatellite markers for 158 individuals. Natural and commercial populations of P. clarkii showed reduced genetic diversity (e.g., haplotype diversity and allelic richness). The highest genetic diversity was observed in one original source population based on both genetic markers. Despite a large number of individuals in commercial aquaria, we detected remarkably low genetic diversity and only three haplotypes among 226 individuals, suggesting an inbred population likely originating from a small founder group. Additionally, the low genetic diversity in the natural population indicates a small effective population size during early establishment of P. clarkii in South Korea. Interestingly, genetic differentiation between natural populations and the United States population was lower than that between natural populations and aquarium populations. This suggests that various genetic types from the United States likely have entered different domestic aquariums, leading to distinct natural populations through separate pathways. Results of our study will provide an insight on the level of genetic divergence and population differentiation during the initial stage of invasion of non-indigenous species into new environments.