• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.99-118
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• 2018

This study examines household expenditure patterns for single-parent families to better understand the decision-making process and to consider the appropriateness of the decisions on monetary allocation. This study investigates the household expenditure patterns and the determinants of expenditure patterns for single-father families as compared to those for single-mother families. A series of analyses of the data, which was gathered from the 2015 Single-parent Family Survey on household expenditures, were conducted. The results show that there are differences in the household expenditure volumes and patterns between single-father families and single-mother families. Differences in the categories of expenditure and variations in the share that was allocated for each expenditure category in single-father families as compared to in single-mother families were both statistically significant. Disparities were found in seven categories of household expenditure between single-father families and single-mother families. The amount allocated from total expenditures for each expenditure category was also significantly different between single-father families and single-mother families in regards to clothing, home equipment, housing, water/light/heat costs, transportation, and telecommunication. The determinants of the total household expenditure for single-parent families were age, level of education, number of family members, public transfer, household income, assets, and debt.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.147-160
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• 2015

This study analyzed the differences in adjustment and family environments of adolescents from three different family structures, using the KCYPS panel 4th wave data from first graders in middle schools. The participants of the study consisted of 1,715 adolescents in two-parent families, 79 adolescents in single-father families, and 113 adolescents in single-mother families. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and ANCOVAs. The findings of this study indicated that adolescents in two-parent families showed a lower level of physical symptoms than those in single-mother families and a lower level of participation in classwork than those in single-father families whereas adolescents in single-father families were more likely to be involved in delinquency than those from the other two family structures. In addition, significant differences were found in family environments including parents' physical health and life satisfaction, family economic status, parenting behaviors, and parents' absence at home after school. Parents in single-mother and single-father families were less healthy physically, showed lower levels of life satisfaction, reported less income, and spent less money for their children, compared to those in two-parent families. With regard to parenting behaviors, single fathers tended to be less warm toward and neglected their children more than single mothers and parents in two-parent families. Adolescents in single-father families were most likely to be left alone at home after school, followed by those in single-mother and two-parent families. The results suggested that specific attention needs to be paid to adolescents from single-father families in order to support their adjustment.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.51-76
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effect of marital relationship on parenting stress among dual- and single-earner families. In particular, this study focuses on the interaction effect of marital relationship and father's child-rearing involvement on the parenting stress. To access factors associated with parenting stress, we included marital satisfaction and marital conflict as the dimensions of marital relationship in this study. Method: We employed data from the 5th wave of the Panel Study of Korean Children(PSKC) data. Our analysis sample consisted of 1,515 parents having at least one child aged under 4 years. Also, this study conducted descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results: First of all, marital satisfaction and marital conflict were significantly related to parenting stress for both mother and father in dual-earner families. While both indicators were significantly related to parenting stress for father, marital conflict only was a significant predictor for mother in single-earner families. Second, father involvement was a significant predictor for parenting stress for father in both dual- and single-earner families. Third, interaction effects were found between father involvement and marital conflict in the dual-earner families and between father involvement and marital satisfaction in the single-earner families. Conclusions: Based on the results, we recommended programs designed to enhance father's child-rearing involvement such as parenting education and community-based campaign. In addition, we recommended that policy and practice need to identify marital relationship dynamics to promote father's involvement and to reduce marital conflict in both dual- and single-earner families accordingly.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.121-140
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to understand how the economic conditions and needs of single-parent families are different between single-mother and single-father families, and also how they are dependent on household composition. The data for this study were drawn from the 1st Korea Welfare Panel Study and analyzed by frequencies, means, ${\chi}^2$, t-test, F-test, and logistic regression with the STATA 9.1 program. The major findings are as follows: (1) Single-parent families are more likely to live in a three-generation household than married couple families. (2) The composition of a three-generation household of single-parent families is affected by sex, age, education, type of marital disruption, the type of employment of single parents and the age of the last-born child. (3) The income-to-needs ratio is not significantly different depending on the sex of the single parents and their household composition. However, material hardship is significantly low in three-generation household single-parent families. (4) There are differences between three-generation single-parent families and independent single-parent families in income sources: The ratio of public transfer to total incomes is higher in three-generation households than independent households, while the ratio of private transfer to total incomes is higher in independent households.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.15-33
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• 2015

The present study conducted ethnography of a welfare facility for single-father families. The participants were 13 single-fathers living in a welfare facility. To explore life within the welfare facility, the qualitative research method of ethnography was used with Spradley's developmental research sequence (DRS). The major results of this study were as follows. The first theme was 'finding a way to overcome the crisis: the facility is a lifeline.' For fathers, choosing to enter a facility meant enduring a social stigma, but the decision was made with the hope of achieving successful parenting and economic independence amidst pressing difficulties. The category of living in the facility was represented by the theme 'build the family: preparing for independence through living in a welfare facility.' The fathers achieved psychological recovery through the decrease in parenting stress, improvements in their economic situation brought by living in a facility, and used this time as the foundation to gain independence and build a stable life. The event of departure from the facility was seen as 'incomplete preparation for departure' by the single fathers. The fathers with infants or younger children admitted to being anxious about leaving the facility, which involved the burden of raising the children on their own. There are practical and policy-related implications based on the results of this study.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.207-222
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• 2008

This research studied the social-emotional competence of children whose primary caregiver was a single-mother or single-father alone compared with children living with a single-parent but the primary caregiver was a non-parent (e.g. a grandparent). Subjects were 208 children (105 boys, 103 girls) from 10 elementary schools in 3 metropolitan cities. Instruments were the Adaptive Behavior Checklist constructed by the researcher, Self-esteem Inventory (Kim, 1987) and Emotional Competence Scale (Kim, 1998). Results showed that children in single-mother families were more social-emotionally competent than children in single-father families. Children whose primary caregivers were non-parents had higher self-esteem than children whose primary caregivers were single parents alone. There were interaction effects of caregiver variables on children's peer relationships and awareness/expression of their own emotion.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 2013

Purpose: This cross-sectional study was done to compare factors influencing young adolescents' aggression according to family structure. Methods: Participants were 680 young adolescents aged 11 to 15 years (113 in single father families, 136 in single mother families, 49 in grandparent families, and 382 in both-parent families). All measures were self-administered. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program and factors affecting young adolescents' aggression were analyzed by stepwise multiple regression. Results: Levels of young adolescents' aggression and all variables were significantly different among the four family structure groups. Factors influencing young adolescents' aggression were also different according to these 4 groups. For single father families, depression-anxiety and family hardiness significantly predicted the level of young adolescents' aggression (adjusted R square=.37, p<.001). For single mother families, depression-anxiety, gender, and friends' support significantly predicted the level of young adolescents' aggression (adjusted R square=.58, p<.001). For grandparent families, depression-anxiety and family support significantly predicted the level of young adolescents' aggression (adjusted R square=.58, p<.001). For both-parent families, depression-anxiety, family hardiness, and friends' support significantly predicted the level of young adolescents' aggression (adjusted R square=.48, p<.001). Conclusion: Nurses working with young adolescents should consider family structure-specific factors influencing aggression in this population.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.83-95
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• 2016

This study explored the processes of parental divorce and adaptation in single-parent families as well as examined how the experience of living in family welfare facilities influences the adaptation process of such families. The research question to achieve the study objective was, "What is the adaption process for a singlefather family, and what influence does living in a single-father family welfare facility have on that process?" Data collection was conducted between June 2013 and April 2014 that included an in-depth interview process and continuous participatory observations on 14 children residing in the facility. The study results were as follows. The theme in a two-parent family period was 'changes in reduction of family: serious conflicts between parents.' Children directly witnessed intense conflicts between parents and experienced anxiety from situations that involved verbal and physical violence during the two-parent family period. The experience of children prior to entering the facility was represented by "loss and confusion experienced." The theme for children of singlefather family in entering a facility was "selecting a realistic alternative." Children's daily activities consisted of being with friends of a similar age, which allowed them to play and support each other in building social skills. The facility departure theme for the children was "hope for a new life."

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.141-163
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• 2016

This study reviews and analyzes the current status and conditions of child-rearing issues related to single-parent families and pinpoints related problems. It undertakes for single-parent families with children in elementary and middle schools to determine limitations that prevent single-parent families from obtaining in existing policies and legislation. The study introduces policy guidelines to ensure childcare for single-parent families. The results are follows. First, the basic policies supporting single-parent families should be broadened to include not only low-income, single-parent families but also higher-income, single-parent families, which would allow all such families to be given first priority at childcare centers. Second, to resolve discrimination and prejudice toward single-parent families, articles about education and single-parent families should be included in the Single-Parent Support Act. Third, substantial and customized support policies tailored to the growth-stages of children are needed. Fourth, programs to improve the relationship between children and single parents should be developed and promoted. Finally, various family types, such as single-father or multi-cultural single-parent families, must be considered.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2007

Single-parent families are on the rise because of the death of one parent for various disasters and rapid rise of divorce, single-parents suffer various stress such as economical difficulties and emotional confusion like domestic duties, nurturing, remarriage originated from the lost of one spouse. Especially the purpose of this study was to develop family life education program focused on single-fathers. This program was developed in the viewpoint of the family consolidation. The program was composed of 3 dimensions; the stress management from domestic duties, the guideline of child nurturing, and the good remarriage. And the trial method and assessment method were suggested. The advantages of this program were the objects and contents : This program put the focus in the single-fathers which were ignored in other researches, and in the source of anxiety of single-fathers originated daily family life. This program will provide useful data for an intervention of proper welfare policy of single-father families.