• Human Ecology Research
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.107-117
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the general characteristics and the variety of family life experiences related to the life satisfaction of multicultural families with school-aged children. Data were drawn from the first wave of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey conducted in 2010 and developed by the National Youth Policy Institute. Further, the sample for this study consisted of 95 multicultural families who met the requirements. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the t -test, analysis of variance, and multiple regression using SPSS ver. 18.0. The main results showed that family life experiences that were made up of 5 domains, specifically time, leisure, household economy, health, and child education had a broad range of levels. In addition, family life experiences differed according to the general characteristics of multicultural families with school-aged children, such as mother's employment status, number of children, father's employment status and education level, and family composition. Lastly, their life satisfaction was significantly predicted by the father's employment status and health, children's age, children's education, and leisure in the order of significance. These findings suggested the need to expand the social intervention range for multicultural families with school-aged children, particularly in terms of family leisure and children's school life adaptation.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of the meaning in life for elementary school students. Methods: The conceptual framework was based on the five main concepts (meaning in life, creativity, experiences, attitudes, choice and responsibility) of logotherapy. Data from 1,600 higher grade elementary school students were analyzed for content of meaning in life. Results: The experiences of meaning in life were identified as follows: Important things in my life (people close to me, things that brings me happiness, to live in earnest, surrounding environment), Activities I like to do (relaxing, achievements, family relationships), Experiences that made me feel like I am loved (taken care of by family, material recompense, being respected), Times when I feel grateful (receive love and care, health), Importance of choices (consequences of bad choices, result of good life choices). Conclusion: These results suggest that elementary school students can understand meaning-centered health education and this kind of education is necessary to promote their wholistic health.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.497-511
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• 2013

This study aimed to examine Korean men's experiences of work-family balance in dual income families with children under six years of age. We focused on identifying the difficulty of balancing work and family considering their individual, social, and cultural conditions. The method was a qualitative study involving two in-depth interviews with each of 12 men, and analyzing the data through the grounded theory approach. From the results, a model of men's work-family experience was constructed. It demonstrates the central phenomena (difficulties of balancing), the causal conditions (lacking time for family, seeking support from the employer, and learning husband's roles insufficiently), the contextual conditions (remaining paternalism and changing husband's roles), the intervening conditions (workplace, childcare support, and wife characteristics), and strategies (help from relatives, utilizing daycare centers, controlling birth, managing work conditions, and using family polices). We clarify the overall picture of working and family life experiences, and also show how men deal with their problems in their circumstances by balancing working and family life. In conclusion, males have difficulty participating in family life autonomously because of having less decision-making power than the wife. Moreover, the great responsibilities of the breadwinner disturb the work-family balance. Men devote themselves to working to hold a job instead of spending time with their family. However, they ultimately value work-family balance with respect to 'keeping a peaceful family life'.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.279-294
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to synthesize and interpret the findings of previous qualitative studies that investigated the lived experiences of Korean emerging adults who aged out of the foster care system. Based on our selection criteria, we extracted and analyzed 14 papers that were published between 2010 to 2023. Our meta-synthesis found that the emerging adults' life world consisted of seven domains: family experience, life tasks, education and work, financial issues, home and family, interpersonal relationships, and psychological and emotional issues. We restructured the emerging adults' lived experiences using van Manen's concepts of lived time, lived space, lived things, lived self-other, and lived body. Our meta-synthesis revealed that these emerging adults experienced multidimensional difficulties due to shortcomings of formal and informal social support after aging out of the foster care system. Their difficulties accumulated in their interaction with lived time. Based on the level of their accumulated difficulties, we categorized the emerging adults into stable, struggling, and isolated groups. However, it is important to note that many of them adapted to their own life world and strived to move forward. This qualitative meta-synthesis provides a comprehensive understanding and new interpretation of emerging adults who transition from foster care to independent living in the context of Korea.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 1993

This study attemps to rethink assumption that the family can be 'a heaven' to everyone in a harsh world through theoretical review Functionalists insist that people feel emotional secure through family life. However this pers-pective sees only the one side of the family experience ignoring the other side of its tension and conflicts in the family. From marxist perspective the family experiences may not be the same among different social classes due to their economic inequality, It might be that middle class family is more likely to experiences emotional secure than any other social class. Feminists have challenged prevalent assumptions about the family. They see that women are oppressed by the family. These results mean that marxist and feminist perspectives compensate for the limitation of functionalism. I'd like to propose that marxist and feminist perspectives can be used framewrok for the family study.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.77-87
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• 2010

The purpose of this research was to explore Korean-Chinese women's experiences of family separation. A qualitative approach was used to analyze the in-depth interviews with 14 Korean-Chinese women who lived away from their families in China. Korean-Chinese women showed the child-centered family values. The main reason of family separation was to provide children of better educational opportunities. Korean-Chinese women, their husbands, and their extended family members worked as a team to support children. Their cohesive family relationships reflected the unique sociocultural context of Korean-Chinese society. Family separation seems to be normalized for the purpose of child education. The research would contribute to understand how family values affect family life style.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.87-109
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• 2017

Objectives: While employed mothers' use of maternity and parental leave has increased, the contexts that facilitate or hinder mothers' leave policy use have been under examined. The purpose of this study was to explore mothers' experiences of using maternity and parental leave. Method: Twenty-two mothers with young child under age three participated in this study. Results: All 22 mothers used maternity leave and 12 mothers used parental leave. Three main themes were identified: different experiences of maternity leave, experiences of parental leave, and skepticism about the leave policy but with some hope that it will improve. Regarding the mothers' experiences of maternity leave, the mothers thought that maternity leave was easily accessible but some mothers still felt guilty for using maternity leave. They also prepared for their work gap before the leave to avoid harming their colleagues. Accessibility to parental leave varied according to the characteristics of the organizations (i.e., family-friendly organization culture, supportive supervisor) and family contexts (i.e., availability of child care from family members, financial issues). The mothers perceived that while parental leave helps working mothers coordinate their family and work life, it is not as accessible as maternity leave in Korea. They suggested extending the maternity leave duration and improving accessibility to parental leave. Conclusions: These findings suggest that policy support is warranted to help employed mothers with young children remain in the workforce. This study also has implications for supporting employed mothers' work and family life.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.69-92
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the baby boomers' perception of and preparation for their successful aging. Seven women and three men were interviewed with the use of an unstructured questionnaire. Their perceptions of their likelihood of future successful aging were not negative, and were influenced by a range of considerations that included health, leisure, finance, volunteer services, family relationships, and elderly life without children's supports. They tried to prepare several kinds of sports, leisure activities, and volunteer services for their elderly life. However, their reasons for preparing these activities varied, and the background of their differences consisted of the family background, personal values, and experiences. Moreover, men and women responded differently to their personal experiences as they related to their elderly life. Women were likely to match their family relationship with their perception and preparation for successful aging, and men were not.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.488-498
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the influence of trauma experiences and social adjustment on health-related quality of life in North Korean defectors. Methods: The subjects were 117 North Korean defectors living in B and Y city. The data were collected from September 1 to September 20, 2014, and analyzed by the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. Results: Significant differences were found in the health-related quality of life with respect to the subjects' education, marriage status, types of dwelling, family types, duration of residence in South Korea, jobs in South Korea and in North Korea, families left in North Korea or other surrounding countries, and subjective health status. Health-related quality of life is negatively related to trauma experiences during escape from North Korea and during their life in South Korea. Health-related quality of life positively is related to social adjustment. The meaningful variables which influenced the subjects'health-related quality include social adjustment, job in South Korea, job in North Korea, current family structure, and trauma experiences in South Korea. Total explanatory power of these factors for health-related quality in North Korean Defectors is 43.0% and social adjustment is the most influential factor. Conclusion: Therefore, in order to enhance health-related quality of life in North Korean defectors, it is necessary for them to increase social adjustment and decrease trauma experiences. In addition, methods are needed to provide job opportunities, better education and family services for North Korean defectors.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.35-49
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• 2015

This study is to examine the relationships between experiences in the family of origin with fathers, parenting participation of fathers, and parenting stress of mothers. The subjects in this study consisted of 203 couples with children of ages 3, 4, and5 attending child care centers in the Gyeong-gi province. The results of this research are summarized as follows. First, experiences in the family of origin with fathers, have meaningful correlations with parenting participation of fathers and parenting stress of mothers. Also, parenting participation of fathers has meaningful correlations with parenting stress of mothers. Second, experiences in the family of origin with fathers have direct/indirect influence on parenting stress of mothers and parenting participation of fathers played a mediating role between the two variables. It is significant that these results give the basic research data for developing aparental education program that can lower parenting stress of mothers by parenting participation of fathers.