• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.201-234
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• 2001

Sociology(or social science in general) is often diagnosed as in the state of 'crisis' after the collapse of socialism and the erosion of national societies because of rapid globalization. This paper introduces some recent work within science and technology studies(STS) and discusses its potentials to reinvigorate sociology. Although sociologists have rarely regarded STS as contributing to 'mainstream' issues in sociology, an increasing number of STS writers and sociologists have recently started to notice such possibilities. One main reason of this recent change is that STS is no longer merely concerned to convey substantive findings about science and technology, but instead attempts to reconstruct key notions of sociology such as 'social', 'society' and 'agency'. It is in this respect that the discussion below aims to introduce, discuss, and assess the potential contribution of some recent work of STS to sociology. In particular, it is 'actor-network theory'(ANT) that explicitly attempts to examine and suggest the ways in which STS ran help innovate sociology. One major characteristics of ANT is to impute 'agency' to things(nonhumans) unlike traditional sociology. ANT argues that if sociology studies heterogeneous relationships between humans and nonhumans instead of human relations only, it can become once again a vigorous discipline which is able to provide alternative worlds central to the basis of sociology. So this paper focuses on, not the diverse approaches of STS, the characteristics of ANT and its potential contribution to sociology. The author concludes that ANT can not only rejuvenate sociology by implicating new forms of alternative worlds but also open the possibility to contribute to the democratic reformulation of human-nonhuman relationships.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.135-179
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• 2018

How do robots interact with the elderly? In this paper, we analyze the contexts of interaction between robots and the elderly and the role of mediators in initiating, facilitating, and maintaining the interaction. We do not attempt to evaluate the robot's performance or measure the impact of robots on the elderly. Instead, we focus on the circumstances and contexts within which a robot is situated as it interacts with the elderly. Our premise is that the success of human-robot interaction does not depend solely on the robot's technical capability, but also on the pre-arranged settings and local contingencies at the site of interaction. We select three television shows that feature robots for the elderly and one "dementia-prevention" robot in a regional healthcare center as our sites for observing robot-elderly interaction: "Grandma's Robot"(tvN), "Co-existence Experiment''(JTBC), "Future Diary"(MBC), and the Silbot class in Suwon. By analyzing verbal and non-verbal interactions between the elderly and the robots in these programs, we point out that in most cases the robots and the elderly do not meet one-to-one; the interaction is usually mediated by an actor who is not an old person. These mediators are not temporary or secondary components in the robot-elderly interaction; they play a key role in the relationship by arranging the first meeting, triggering initial interactions, and carefully observing unfolding interactions. At critical moments, the mediators prevent the interaction from falling apart by intervening verbally or physically. Based on our observation of the robot-elderly interaction, we argue that we can better understand and evaluate the human-robot interaction in general by paying attention to the existence and role of the mediators. We suggest that researchers in human-robot interaction should expand their analytical focus from one-to-one interactions between humans and robots to human-robot-human interactions in diverse real-world situations.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.105-131
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• 2005

This study intended to understand how the use of social welfare services and the satisfaction from the use affect poor children's psychosocial adjustment. Especially, it focused to find out whether the use of satisfied services has an independent effect on poor children's psychosocial adjustment when other relevant variables are controlled. Participants are 904 poor children from 16 nationwide cities/provinces who receive financial sponsorship from Korea Welfare Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Among them, 8.2% is from youth-headed homes, 22.7% is from grandparent-care homes, 8.2% is from relative foster homes, 1.8% is from non-relative foster homes and 59.1% is from other poor families. The results of this study are as follows: 1) According to MANOVA, poor children who received 2 or more satisfied social welfare services are significantly different from those who received 1 or no service in their combined psychosocial adjustment subcategories. Delinquency among the subcategories is the most influencing variable in combined differences. 2) Controlling sex, age, family structure and other variables that are considered to be related to delinquency in previous research, the use of satisfied services is still the significant variable in decreasing delinquency among poor children. 3) Interaction effect between the use of satisfied services and parental supervision was statistically significant. Under the low level of parental supervision, the use of satisfied services has a significant effect on the decrease of delinquency. However, under the high level of parental supervision, the use of satisfied services has little effects. From these results, we found out that the use of satisfied social welfare services is a very significant factor influencing to prevent or decrease delinquency among poor children. Also we found out that it is critically important for poor children who receive the low level of parental supervision to have good-quality social welfare services in order to prevent delinquency.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.73-103
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• 2005

This study takes of youth panel data(2002-2003), there is the purpose to know to youth employed's labor mobility conditions of employment status conversion and examine on factors affecting conversion of employment status. Main analysis result and policy imply, is as following. First, although youth employed's non-standard employment shows some decrease, employment youth hierarchy was construed that youth of our country is consisting very changefully because appear great turnover that is converted by unemployment or Not economically activity population same period. Specially, non-standard employment phenomenon of woman or low in scholarship person appeared notedly, and because phenomenon that is converted by unemployment or Not economically activity population is expose that is deepened, discriminating policy of government dimension is required for employment stabilization of these class. Second, show result that danger to escape to non-standard job risk trap which seeking employment activity of youth class is arranged case or company which is formed by official path is suitable becomes low, must formulate path of employment about youth class and improve qualitative level of employment through suitable job placement education of youth class or function (technology) level. Third, when was construed, but take into account that the although large enterprise have low risk in non-standard job, recently employment of youth class consists very limited, rather small scale business or smaller enterprise's competitive power preferably need to be plan. Finally, danger to non-standard job youth employed's company form is government connection wonder was expose that high, Such result can do that it is difficult by limited research period, but reflect actuality that youth unemployment policy of our country is enforced laying stress on public labor or unregular job employment such as internship system. Therefore, current youth unemployment policy may have to change by employment policy that can secure stable work record by youth class or act as bridge-building that promote conversion by full-time job.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.305-335
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• 2005

This paper is a result from validation study for SPDA(A Screening Scale For Potential Drug-use Adolescents) created in 2003 and newly developed during 2004. SPDA aims to screen adolescents in their early stage of drug-use and to help practitioners make a preventive approach for the adolescents. 4307 junior and senior high school students were selected as primary research subjects by stratified and quota sampling methods. 305 adolescents on probation were also selected as a comparison group and asked to answer the same questionnaire. Reliability for SPDA recorded 0.914, which proved to be better than previous year's (0.898). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to test construct validity proved that SPDA could be divided into 7 factors and that each factor structure of SPDA could be a proper measurement model with high level of fitness and factor loadings. Discriminant analysis to test predictive validity confirmed that SPDA could classify the adolescents excellently by the frequency of drug-use, with hit ratio of 86.6 percent(78.8% and 87.4% for junior and senior high school students respectively). For concurrent validity test, Hare Home Self-Esteem Scale, Hare School Self-Esteem, Zuckerman-Kuhlman Sensation-seeking Scale were employed to find correlation with SPDA and all the three scales had significant Pearson correlation coefficients with SPDA. Known-groups validity test indicated that SPDA had an adequate power to classify out adolescents on probation from those in schooling, with a hit ratio of 71.8 percent. Cut-off point to detect adolescents with high risk of substance use was 77, which indicated approximately T score, 55 (0.5 SD), satisfying sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency criteria.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.5-30
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• 2005

Globalization has conflicting effects on pharmaceutical policies. A change into a 'populist competitive nation' due to globalization strengthens policies to reduce drug manufacturing costs while the WTO's TRIPS Agreement that is affected by multinational pharmaceutical companies increases drug manufacturing costs by bolstering the patent rights on new drugs. Currently, the independency of populist nations' policies to reduce drug manufacturing cost is being compromised because multinational organizations(such as the European Union) which represents the interests of the multinational pharmaceutical companies put restrictions on the pharmaceutical policies of populist nations for purposes of promoting the industrial goals of the multinational companies. Korea is no exception. Up until the late 1990s, the main feature of the pharmaceutical policies in Korea was keeping the drug price at the cost level based on a growth-driven ideology, and this was Korea's unique policy tools as a developing nation. However, the increase in the power of multinational pharmaceutical companies currently infringes on the independency of Korea's pharmaceutical policies. Expensive imported drugs were originally covered by the national health insurance plan, but starting from 1999 such drugs began to be covered by the plan. After separation of medical and pharmaceutical services, the use of expensive drugs was increased, and the Korean government planned to introduce the reference price policy in order to contain the cost of the national health insurance plan. However, due to pressures from the U.S. government as well as multinational pharmaceutical companies, implementation of the policy has been postponed. In addition, due to a pressure from the U.S. government, a working group was created which would affect the health care policy of the Korean government. Discussions so far on globalization was about whether the change into populist competitive nations due to globalization resulted in the reduction of welfare spending. However, this study shows not only the reduction of health care cost through policies to reduce drug manufacturing costs but increase in welfare spending by raising the strengths of multinational pharmaceutical companies that are for-profit providers of welfare service. While focusing on the contradictory effects of globalization on pharmaceutical policies of a nation, this study looked at how these conflicting effects end up promoting the interests of multinational pharmaceutical companies by examining the Korean case.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.5-40
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• 2005

Social welfare centers and residential care facilities where provide the socially disadvantaged with proper social services, face financial difficulties. This is because not only of the lack of governmental support, but also of social welfare centers and residential care facilities' lack of skills in developing abundant resources from the private sector. In this context, this study tried to find factors affecting resource mobilization of the social welfare facilities to devise policies in resource development. Mail survey was conducted with the structured questionnaire. Employees in charge of community resource development were asked to answer the questionnaire. The study population were welfare centers and residential care facilities. A total of 293 community welfare centers and 632 residential care facilities responded to the survey. The response rate was about 62%. The dependent variables of the study were the amount of resource mobilization in the year 2001 which was measured as the number of donors, the total amount of donation, and estimated amount of gift-in-kind. Three types models were constructed per each welfare institution. Independent variables were selected based on the previous research findings: community environment factor, structural factor, and resource development factor. Multiple regression was utilized to analyze the data. The resource development factor turned out to be significant variable in various models. In the models of donors, the amount of donation, and the amount of gift-in-kind (except for the welfare center model), at least one out of six variables of the resource development factors was significant welfare center. Welfare centers which establish the resource development department or hire employees to take care of resource development, utilize computer softwares to file donors, and utilize donor management programs, have more donors and/or donations than their counterparts. In addition, residential care facilities located in urban area have more donors and donations, and among residential facilities those for the disables, those with longer history and more employees, receive more donations than their counterparts. As for the gift-in-kind model, the welfare centers located in high income area and residential care facilities for the elderly, children and mentally retarded receive less gift-in-kind than their counterparts Based on the above findings, this study suggested that to mobilize resources the welfare centers as well residential care facilities need to have community resource development department or resource development staffs, adopt computer software to systematically organize donors, and utilize donor mobilizing and maintaining programs.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.5-38
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• 2007

This study attempts to develop a theory on the evolving process of wealthy major donors' sharing lives in Korea through a grounded theory approach. To conduct this study, the researchers have in-depth interviews with 11 exemplary wealthy major donors who have more than one million US dollars in his or her own asset and donate more than ten thousand US dollars annually. In data analysis, this study identifies 161 concepts on the evolving process of wealthy major donors' sharing lives; and the concepts are categorized with 33 sub-categories and 14 categories. In the paradigm model on the evolving process of wealthy major donors' sharing lives, it is identified that the central phenomenon, 'practicing sharing lives as noblesse oblige', is related with the causal conditions such as 'learning through memories and observation', 'realizing my duties', and 'emphasizing'; and the central phenomenon is related with the contingent conditions such as 'being sensitive to external evaluation', 'having limited information on giving', 'distrusting donation related environments'. The action/interactional sequences such as 'utilizing relationships' and 'strengthening active participation' are accomplished by moderating conditions such as 'having internal and external supports' and 'guiding by firm conviction'. It reveals that as a result, wealthy major donors enjoy the feeling of becoming a ideal and true wealthy person, establish sharing lives as firm and major parts of overall lives, and experience strong desires for better future and society. In this study, 'generous sharing that shares personal heritages and social benefits' is analyzed as a core category; it shows that sharing of wealthy major donors is related to the characteristics of generosity practice based on moral self-benefiting rather than complete altruistic characteristics or self-sacrificial characteristics. The process analysis reveals that it has the following stages: first, initial giving by exposure to causes or requests; second, routine practice of giving; third, evolution of practice of giving with gradual expansion in quantities and qualities; and fourth, living with giving. In the process, the following four types are identified: devoted wealthy donors for sharing, wealthy donors practicing sharing in daily life, wealthy donors practicing sharing with learning on external stimulus, and wealthy donors practicing sharing on empathy. Finally, this study discusses both meanings of identifying and developing a theory on the evolving process of wealthy major donors' sharing lives and implications of the research results in cultivating and developing potential wealthy major donors in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.519-531
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• 1993

Background: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis(LAM) is a very rare disease occurring in women of reproductive age and leading to progressive respiratory failure despite therapy. But the natural history of this disease is uncertain and although anti-estrogenic agents have been used for more than twenty years, it's efficacy is still in debate. This study was performed to enhance understanding of this fatal disease in Korea by examining clinical, radiological, and pathologic findings of all the previously reported cases of LAM on Korea along with four new cases of LAM whom we report in this paper. Method: Out of twlve cases of LAM previously unpublished and published in domestic papers, two cases whose diagnoses were considered doubtful after review of clinical, radiological, and pathologic findings at "Asian Congress on Lymphangioleiomyomatosis" at Kyoto, Japan in feburary of 1993 were excluded from this study. Six cases which were reported previously and four new cases of LAM whom we report in this paper were analysed for the clinical, radiological, and pathologic characteristics. Results: All ten patients were women with mean age of $33{\pm}7$. The most common symptom was exertional dyspnea and most patients had history of pneumothoraces. Pulmonary function tests showed decreased diffusing capacity. on high resolution computed tomography(HRCT), all the cases had characteristic cysts. Most of the patients did not respond to hormonal therapy. Conclusion: In women of reproductive age, presenting with dyspnea who has a history of pneumothorax, LAM should always be considered as one of the diagnostic possibilities. If suspected, HRCT should be done to look for characteristic cysts and if needed, open lung biopsy should be done to confirm the diagnosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2006

Background: The "health-related quality of life" (HRQL) for patients with chronic respiratory disease has been emphasized, because chronic respiratory disease (CRD) is chronic and progressive, and it finally causes disability. HRQL instruments may be useful for monitoring patients' progress or for determining the most appropriate choice of treatment. We describe the adapting St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), which is a self-administered questionnaire developed by Jones et al. (1991), into the Korean version for covering three domains of health for the patients suffering with airways disease. Method: We obtained the original SGRQ from the author after gaining permission. For adaptation, we created an expert panel and translated the original questionnaire into Korean language. The translated questionnaire was then back-translated by bilingual experts and we compared it with the original questionnaire. After correction and feasibility testing, 74 patients with chronic respiratory disease (COPD, asthma, destroyed lung) completed the Korean version of the SGRQ. The clinical status of each patients was evaluated concurrently with measurement of their health status. Result: The Korean version of the SGRQ was acceptable and easy to understand. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.92 for the overall scale and 0.63 for the "Symptoms", subscale, 0.87 for the "Activity", subscale, and 0.89 for the "Impacts" subscales. The correlation coefficients between the overall score and the Borg scale score, oxygen saturation, and forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) were 0.52, -0.32 and -0.26, respectively. These results support that the Korean SGRQ was correlated with other measurements. Conclusion: The Korean SGRQ was reliable and valid for patients with chronic respiratory disease, such as COPD, asthma, and destroyed lung. The SGRQ score was well correlated with other respiratory measurements as well. Although further studies should complete the adaptation work, our results suggest that the SGRQ may be used in Korea and also for international studies involving Korean CRD patients.