A qualitative study on family roles on the job activities of women with acquired physical disabilities

중도지체장애여성의 직업활동에 대한 가족 역할 연구

This phenomenological study aims at exploring the role of family in promoting, maintaining, and developing job activities of women with acquired physical disabilities. As a result of in-depth interviews with 8 women with physical disabilities, 6 theme clusters and 14 sub-themes have appeared. Participants have vividly revealed their experiences with regard to the various support and help of their family. They were provided physical, emotional and financial supports which helped at great extent to overcome the anger and loss resulted from the acquired disabilities. Although most of the participants have experienced failure in job finding several times, they have at last succeeded in it by the consistent help of their family. In particular, the support and help given from the family were substantial and specific which promoted maintaining and developing their career. Therefore the participants could obtain more confidence in themselves and this made the participants to speak for themselves. Although the family roles for the job finding and maintaining of the participants are played in various ways which is positive, effective and specific, there remains some significant problems and limitations. Participants expressed their uncomfortableness in opening their most in-depth thinking and emotions to their family. They have also experienced a great deal of difficulties in maintaining job because of the housework load and child bearing work which is mainly regarded by the family members as the woman's(participant's)duties. In addition to this, sexual needs and sexual identity of the participants are neither recognized nor dealt with seriously in family, The participants also mentioned about the inequal relationships and their self-consciousness among family member as well as the lack of career guidance role of the family. Based on these research findings, we have made a number of suggestions to promote the positive roles and overcome the limited roles of the family.