• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.43 no.9 s.211
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• pp.15-26
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to develop an educational program that enhances a single mother's social adaptation (self-esteem and sociality) based on the precedent studies. The subjects of this program were seven single motherswholive in C city in Chung Cheong Namdo. Paired-Sample t-test, individual change and group processing description data, and behavior observation record data were analyzed. Research results are as follows based on the research questions. First, a group of 8 single mothers who participated in the program showed an improvement of their social adaptation. Therefore, the effectiveness of the educational program was verified. Second, as the group session went on, the cohesion among the group members was solidified and their will to participate in the program was increased. Third, generally, individuals' understanding, acceptance, and adaptation toward themselves and others were enhanced. On the whole, the educational program for improving single mother's social adaptation was verified. We need to develop and implement more programs that enhance single mother's social adaptation in the future.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.579-593
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the social support, understanding of the children's problem in the female-headed single parents, and their child rearing methods. To obtain this purpose, in-depth interview was conducted to 8 female-headed single parents from March 3 to April 5, 2003. The contents of interviews were recorded and analyzed by qualitative method. The results were as follows: First, female-headed single parents were stuck for the social support and the relationships with parents-in-law were ruptured, especially. Secondly, female-headed single parents had well known about their children's daily life. Third, in the early stage of female-headed single parents, they had expressed the stresses in their hardship of life to their children, but it decreased whenever they were accustomed to their life.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.93-114
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• 2014

This study aims to investigate the levels of assets and debts that male- and female-headed households have in comparison to married-couple households. Toward this end, a series of analyses of data from the 2011 Korean Household Finance Survey on the assets and debts of single-parent households are conducted. The empirical results reveal that the amounts of assets and net worth of married-couple households were significantly larger than those of male- and female-headed households. A comparison between male- and female-headed households show that the latter were more likely to hold financial assets such as savings accounts, savings insurance and mutual funds. The amounts of assets of female-headed households were significantly larger than those of male-headed households. Furthermore, the amount of credit card debt in mele-headed households was significantly larger than that in female-headed households.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.153-167
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difficulties, conflicts, and communications between female-headed single parents and their children, their child rearing methods and attitude, and the political suggestions for the welfare in those families. The in-depth interviews were conducted for 7 women in Gyonggi-Do and Chungnam-Do on March 3-27, 2003. The interviewees were selected for the mothers whose children were enrolled either elementary schools or middle schools. The contents of interviews were receded to be analyzed by qualitative method. The results were as follows; first, female-headed single parent families were in low economic status with unstable employment condition. Secondly, women in that families were confronted with psychological problems because of their multiple roles and low income. Third, although they had a controlled child rearing method, they used much reinforcement and praise. Thirdly, they were in need of the aids for the basic life such as housings and their children's private institute expenses. Finally, they required the repealing of an existing birthright system.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.181-191
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine the social support network for divorced single mother families. The data were gathered through in-depth interviews with seven divorced single mothers who had at least one school-age child. Qualitative analysis of data showed that divorced single mothers evaluated themselves based on other people's perception. There were mainly three different kinds of self-images, which were “a competent divorced woman,” “a bad child to my parents,” and “a socially weak person.” We also found that there were two factors that influenced the everyday lives of single mothers: all of them .;offered hardships in living as a divorced woman with children, and they also had to deal with the weakened solidarity with family of origin, relatives, and neighbors. Single mothers shared common problems yet their lifestyles and adjustment strategies were diverse. Therefore, diverse social welfare policies for education and counseling for single mothers are urgently needed to support and empower divorced single mothers.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.5-37
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to see the motive, processes and strategies of change in poor single mother self-help group and analyze meaning in the self help group, agencies and themselves by change. As to this discussion, We seek to grope practical ways for self-help group. By using Participatory Action Research, We intended to an alternative plan in collaborating between practitioners and all concerned. Following four-step-process in this methodology, we explored processes of changing and considered social work practical meaning. On results, first, The motive have come from critical minds that motivate them to choose their way subjectively. We concluded that they have a necessity of change as a groping activity within their capability. Second, On process trying to be changed, They have made initiative decisions about how extensive and deep their changes should be, by discussion being themselves. So they have agreed to aim at purposeful activities beyond just emotional support. Third, they suggested and planned meaningful action as a specific strategy for changing and all these were done by local community volunteering and lecturing for supporting single mother. In conclusion, The 'Change' single mother group activity aim at is, based on subjective decision, to change a practice of a social worker into a practice of participant, and to develop social empowerment more improved to control social condition, which is forming their life, by their own choice. Furthermore, It needs to be considered approach to Community for overcome limits of self help group activities. Based on these consequences, We presented social work practical meaning.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.261-275
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• 2013

This study aims to explore the utilizing experience of public support service of the single mothers, who have been assessed as inability in aspect of labor. For this purpose of this study, we had in-depth interview five interviewees who had adolescent children or non-adult children. The participants were from 20s to 50s. From the outcomes of this study, we figured out that they had attempted to escape from the poor realities of life and to help the family budget through their work. However, they could not have plans to fulfill their aims, because of the unhealthy body conditions, the high working costs, the burdens for parenting or child-rearing, and the low levels of working ability. It has been shown that their parenting stresses and depressions from their hard realities have been reinforced, and those psycho-emotional pressures have been projected to connect with the inappropriate disciplines and parenting or child-rearing. And it has been reinforced through utilizing public support service. Consequently, they have become chronic through the repeated disappointment and unhealthy psycho-emotional condition. In this study, we discussed and proposed the labor policies and practical suggestions which have had a close relationship with the efficient judgement systems for work inability.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.159-193
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• 2018

This study aims to examine life experiences of single mothers according to three types of single parent families, divorced, widowed and unmarried and how they cope with their difficulties to become self-reliant and to identify strengths promoting self-reliance. The researchers analyzed personal, environmental and life factors by using the strengths perspective and discovered distinctive features of three types of single mothers that promote self-reliance. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 20 single mothers, 4 widows, 8 divorced mothers and 8 unmarried single mothers. The results show that participants defined their experiences of self-reliance as a process to increase capability to accomplish their responsibilities as a mother, rather than as a completed goal. Increasing capability not only means achieving economic self-sufficiency, but also gaining psychosocial strengths that are developed by embracing one's own life, having sense of control and empowerment. This study identified commonalities and differences of strengths and resources and unique experiences of participants and proposed implications for policy and practice related to the roles of service delivery and support system.

• The Korean Journal of Woman Psychology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.401-422
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• 2011

The present study investigated the mediating effects of parents' social networks on the relationship between parents' socioeconomic status and parent involvement. Parent involvement in the current study was composed of home-based and school-based involvement. Home-based involvement includes providing learning environment at home, guiding child's study habits, and providing educational and financial support. School-based involvement includes supporting child's school-related activities, participating at parent meetings and volunteering, and home-school communication. The subjects were 132 single mothers and 164 mothers from two-parent families, whose children are fifth and sixth graders in Seoul and Incheon. Structural Equational Modeling was used for the analysis by adopting SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. The results showed that single mothers and mothers from two-parent families differ in their structural models. For mothers from two-parent families, socioeconomic status was directly related to home-based and school-based involvement. In contrast, single mother's socioeconomic status only influenced home-based and school-based involvement indirectly through the functional aspects of mother's social networks. The results suggest that parent counseling and parent education programs might be more effective if they encouraged single mothers to exchange resources through their social networks in order to promote parent involvement in elementary schools.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.251-277
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• 2015

This qualitative study is designed for the reconstruction of the experience of single mothers in poverty based on the bottom-up approach. Welfare dependency is identified as vital help to protect their own and children's lives, through their stories telling that welfare services provided by government and community take care of them "in place of their husbands", and "raise them up by hand." What is self-sufficiency to them is more of a process-orientation through welfare dependency than a state out of it, and a way to look through building their self-esteem and working to discover their self-worth except their economic power. Restoring their potential to self-sufficiency through dealing with their psycho-social stresses and expanding services for them related to child-care(education) and occupation ability development for long-term self-sufficiency, rather than hasty focusing on welfare exit, should be built on the foundation of helping them self-sufficient. In order for the self-sufficiency program to overcome the participant's images of "subordination and stigma" and to convey the original meaning of "welfare to work", the performance and evaluation system of self-sufficiency programs that reflects the insider's perspectives on their participation motive and process, and the self-sufficiency program customized for their needs and interests should be encouraged to develop.