• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.87-105
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with instrumental support (i.e., economic and practical support) from parents to their adult children. We examined both parents' attitudes toward instrumental support for adult children and parents' actual provision of instrumental support. From the data of the 2010 second National Survey of Korean Families, we selected 532 mothers and 524 fathers who were married and had at least one adult child aged over 25. Multiple regression analyses by the parents' gender showed that fathers were more likely to agree with instrumental support for adult children in general when they had unmarried children, had a lower household income level, had a lower evaluation of their socio-economic class, were satisfied with their own household economic situation, had positive attitudes toward caregiving for elderly parents, and were satisfied with their couple relationships. For mothers, they were more likely to agree with instrumental support for adult children in general when they had positive attitudes toward caregiving for elderly parents, were satisfied with their couple relationships, and perceived their child as someone to rely on in times of difficulties. Our analyses of the actual provision of support indicated that fathers tended to provide more support when they perceived that they were healthy, had unmarried children, were less satisfied with their household economic situation, had negative attitudes toward child-rearing, and reported a higher quality of parent-child relationship. For mothers, they were more likely to provide actual support when they were healthy, had unmarried children, had a higher level of household income, were financially preparing for later life, and less satisfied with their couple relationships. The findings of this study imply that it is imperative to distinguish the attitudes toward support from the actual provision of support and to also consider parents' gender in the literature on instrumental support for adult children.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.17-28
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• 2005

To understand further the differences in the distribution of attachment classifications assigned to 12-15 month old infant raised in Korea(N=85) and the U.S.(N=104), detailed analyses of maternal and infant behavior during the Strange Situation was undertaken. Indices of infants' attachment behavior with their mothers and distress during separations were rated. The percentage of Korean infants classified as secure versus insecure mirrored the global distribution, however, fewer Korean babies were classified as avoidant, As predicted, secure Korean babies were less likely than secure U.S. babies to approach their mothers, maintain contact or show resistant behavior and more often displayed distress during the second separation from their mother. Resistant Korean babies, however, did not significantly differ from resistant U.S. babies with respect to their attachment behavior but more often displayed distress when left with a stranger. These findings are discussed with respect to cultural differences in caregiving.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.467-486
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• 1993

Today, more chronically ill and handicapped people are being cared for at home by a family member caregiver. The task of caring for a family momber may mean that the caregiver has less time and money and more work which may result in increased fatigue and symptoms of illness. This study was done to examine the well-being of family caregivers. Fifty three family caregivers were interviewed. Concepts were measured using existing tools and included : Burden(25 item 5 point scale), Social sup-port (21 item 7 point scale), Health status defined by a symptom checklist(48 item S point scale), and Well -being defined by a quality of life scale (14 item 7 point scale) and caregiving activities. Data collection was done by interview and Q-sort. Social support and well - being were positively correlated as were symptoms and burden. Symptoms and burden were negatively correlated with social support and well-being. Items on the quality of life scale had a mean score range from 3.09 to 4.96. Quality of life related to income was lowest (3.09) but the desire to use more money for the patient was rated 2.90 on the burden scale where the item means ranged from 0.73 to 3.55. The high mean of 3.55 was for obligation to give care and the low 0.73 was (or not feeling that this was helping the patient. Mean scores for symptoms ranged from 0.26 to 2.15 with the 2.15 being for “worry about all the things that have to be done.” Over half of the patients were dependent for help with some activities of daily living. The caregivers reported doing an average of 3.40 out of five patient care activities including bathing (77.4%), shampooing (67.9%), and washing face and hands (49.1％), and 3.74 out of seven home maintenance activities including laundry (98.1％), cooking (83.0%), and arranging bed-ding(75.5%). The caregivers reported their spouse as one of the main sources of social support, including in times of loneliness and anger The mean score for loneliness as burden was 2.15 and ranked fourth and 31 (58.5％) of the sample reported being lonely recently and not being satisfied with the support received. Similarly anger caused by the patient was given a mean score of 2.13, and anger was reported to have been present recently by 38 (71.7%) of the sample and satis-faction with the support given was low. Having someone to help deal with anger ranked twelfth out of 21 items on the social support scale and had a mean score of 3.98 (range 3.49 to 5.98). Spouses were reported as a major source of social support but the fact that 50% of the caregivers were caring for a spouse, may account for the quality of this source of social support having been affected. These caregivers faced the same problems as others at the same stage of life. but because of the situation, there was a strain on their resources, particularly financial and social. In conclusion it was found that burden is correlated negatively to quality of life and positively to symptoms, but in this sample, symptoms and bur-den were scored relatively low. Does this indicate that the caregivers accept caregiving as part of their destiny and accept the quality of their lives with burden and symptoms just being a part of caregiving\ulcorner Does the correlation between the bur-den and symptoms indicate they are a measure of the same phenomenon or that the sample was of a more mobile, less burdened group of caregivers\ulcorner Quality of life was the one variable that was significant in explaining the varience on burden. Further study is needed to validate the conclusions found in this study but they indicate a need for nurses to ap-proach these caregivers with a plan tailored to each individual situation and to give consideration to interventions directed at improving quality of life and expanding social support networks for those caring for spouses.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.67-81
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• 2001

The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether early child-care experience, alone or in combination with mother/child factors, was associated with emotion regulation. Participants were forty 12-18 month-old infants, their mothers and their caregivers. Infants were observed in the Strange Situation to assess the pattern of emotion regulation. Mothers were interviewed, given Questionnaires, and observed in play. Caregivers were observed in child care to assess the caregiving environment. There were significant main effects of good quality child care on open emotion expression and heightening emotion expression. Significant interaction effects revealed that infants were more likely to be open emotion expression when high maternal sensitivity /responsiveness was combined with good quality child care, or nonmaterial care initiated prior to six month of age. Infants were more likely to be minimizing emotion expression when low maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined with nonmaternal care initiated after six month of age, or more than one care arrangement. Difficult temperament infants received nonrelative care were somewhat more likely to be minimizing emotion expression. Infants were more Likely to be heightening emotion expression when high maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined with relative care. Boys experiencing nonrelative care were more Likely to be heightening emotion expression.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.133-158
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• 2014

Over the past decades, changes in economic, social and demographic structures have pushed the growth of care employment across countries around the world. Women's increasing labor force participation has squeezed the time so far available for unpaid caregiving and led to increased demand for paid care services. Population aging and increasing needs for pre-school education also have contributed to the growth in demand for care services. As a result, care workers now comprise a large and growing segment of the labor force in many countries including South Korea. But, there are not a few problems. Especially, we take underpaid and undervalued care work very seriously. care work has been generally characterized as underpaid and undervalued compared with other work in developed and developing countries alike. This study tries to show current situation of care work and estimate the wage penalty for doing care work in Korea using official employment micro-data and applying propensity matching analysis. Especially, recent expansion of social service is a big step up for Korean Welfare State. But, there are not a few problems. Especially, we take underpaid and undervalued care work very seriously. This presentation tries to show current situation of care work and estimate the wage penalty for doing care work in Korea using official employment micro-data and applying propensity matching analysis.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.83-104
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to provide diverse points of view to understand the low fertility issue of Korean society. For this phenomenological qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 married couples(28 persons) all raising three children. Participants were asked about overall family and work life, child care role performance, thoughts about child rearing, and their sociocultural context. Interview data were explored based on 6 analyzing steps offered by S, J, Talyor and R. Bogdan(1984). Most participants of this study were formed positive perceptions about having three children. Parents' positive perception was closely related with their attitude of not worrying too much about their children's future as well as child caring contexts around them. Parents' perception about having three children was also linked with their child care role construction process. In detail, parents with more positive perceptions tended to increase their level of child care involvement. This was particularly true for fathers. Mother and father's job situation emerged as an important factor to shape their child care involvement. In addition, child care attitude of people around them explained father's child care involvement. Applying these qualitative results, we first expect to provide detailed ideas about lives with three children in Korea. Second, based on our study findings, a more realistic and helpful policy to help the low fertility problem could be developed. Lastly, we also hope to provide helpful phenomenological qualitative research about low fertility issues of Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the overcoming experiences of family members caring for elderly patients with dementia at home. Methods: Data came from autobiographies on the overcoming experiences of caregiving from 31 participants, who had submitted the autobiographies to a public contest held by the Seoul Metropolitan Center for Dementia in 2012. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Four overcoming stages emerged from the analysis: confronting stage; challenging stage; integrating stage; and transcendental stage, representing transformation of experiences from frustration and suffering to happiness and new hope in life. The confronting stage illustrates severe negative feelings and exhaustion occurring after the diagnosis of dementia. The challenging stage signifies major driving forces in taking good care of their patients. It includes tender loving memories about the patients as well as family and social supports. The integrating stage shows genuine empathy for the patients' situation and the happiness of 'here and now', while the transcendental stage represents new hope in the future. Conclusion: Health professionals need to support caregivers to find true meaning of caring and happiness in everyday life, while providing specific information on dementia care and relieving various negative feelings.