• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.953-970
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• 2009

The successful aging paradigm suggests that the elderly keep their social ties and actively participate in various activities in later life. Many Korean studies on aging, however, have overlooked the importance of various social activities and relationships beyond kinship. This article aims to investigate the perceived social activities among Korean elders to comprehend the subjectivity of successful aging. 613 respondents, over 50 years old, are selected from a national survey data which was collected by face-to-face interview based on the structured questionnaire. The respondents are classified into pre old (50-64), young old (65-74), old old (over 75). Major findings are as follows. The social activities are grouped into two sub-categories: 'relational activity' and 'productive activity'. The activity types are different by the age cohorts. Various activities are considered in terms of one's needs or motivations, and properly chosen based on the subjective evaluation during life course. Both demographic variables such as sex, area and social context variables such as marital status, living-together show influence on the activity type choices. Plans for later life and work ethics are important as well. Policies regarding social participation emphasizing productivity should positively consider relational motives, as perceived by the Korean elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.325-345
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is a exploratory study for understanding the process of the social isolation of the socially isolated elderly through the approach to their life history. The research was analyzed by one of the methods of qualitative research on life history, the conceptual framework of 'Dimensions, turning, and adaptation' of Mandelbaum(1973). According to the results of this study, the socially isolated elderly people were found to be socially isolated by experiencing complex difficulties such as family disconnection, poverty, poor job and health deterioration. Specifically, in the area of life, there was experience of poor relationship with parent, absence of family, poverty of family and unfavorable relationship with surrounding people in life with original family before isolation. They had bad jobs in the labor market, such as hard labor, delivery, business, and chores. In the area of turning point, we experienced family break due to the separation of the original family and the spouse due to various reasons such as financial crisis, parental divorce and death, spouse affair, economic difficulty. In a transitional stage in the life, many reasons such as the financial crisis, the death of parents, the extramarital affair and economic difficulties led to the disconnection from their original family and their spouses. In an adaptive phase, participants accepted the changed life at each turning point in their lives, carrying out their roles, compromising and trying to adapt properly. He said that their current life, which has entered the social safety net system of the people's basic recipients, has led him to live a more stable life and is adapting to personal hobbies and vicarious satisfaction through networks. This result is somewhat different from previous studies in which isolated elderly people were severely exposed to the risk of depression and loneliness. However, we should also consider the characteristics of this study that interviewed elderly people with relatively low isolation. Based on the results of this research, he presented various practical policy implications.

• The Korean Journal of Woman Psychology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.235-258
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• 2010

This study has a purpose to develop vocational adjustment program that is essential for marriage immigrant women to settle down in our society and verify the effectiveness of the program. In order to develop practical program with reflecting their unique issues and experiences comparing to other groups, many diverse ways such as questionnaire, face to face in-depth interview, and expert-interview were used. Vocational adjustment program for marriage immigrant women was consisted of six parts like understanding multi-culture, basic economical concepts and practical use, vocation and labor market comprehension, self-understanding and analysis, cultivating organization adaptation and job capacities, establishing career goal. After carrying into effect the program, the result was significant differences in career identity, the understanding vocational information, adaptation of vocational culture, career aspiration to women who have taken the vocational adjustment program. Through the program, marriage immigrant women will be high in self-efficacy with the real recognition of the Korean labor market and expect their positive future which might be better than now. Finally this can help them adjust our society in the positive way.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.389-412
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to closely examine causality on the married-working women's depression. For this, the analytical materials were used the primary Seoul Metropolis Welfare Panel survey data. 507 married-working women in their 20s~50s were selected among survey subjects of Seoul Metropolis Welfare Panel data. The analytical method was used the structural equation model. As a result of analysis, it could be known that the path of perfect mediating effect in depression was formed after passing through the benefits satisfaction and the marital happiness from gender role attitude in the married-working women and that the benefits satisfaction has the partial mediating effect between depression and marital happiness. Suggesting a plan for getting rid of depression in the married-working women based on the results of this study, first of all, the married-working women's depression is greatly accredited to what our society regards domestic work yet as woman's role. Thus, the policy-based measure is demanded that can support for working women to be possibly compatible in work and family life and that can induce men's participation in household affairs and child-rearing in such context. Second, it was indicated that the more the married-working women adhere strictly to the gender role attitude of traditionalism, the lower result the marital happiness and benefits satisfaction have. Considering this, a plan for activating welfare system and family-friendly system is demanded that can change gender role value in traditionalism, which is being left in our society. Third, to promote marital happiness that has great influence upon the married-working women's depression, there is a need of seeking a plan, which further intensifies the family services including the marital education and the parent education.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.227-252
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• 2009

This study set out to investigate implementation agency effect on participants' self-sufficiency in self-support program. Self-support program's implementation agency consist of civil groups and social welfare corporations. The final sample size was 602 program participants and 18 implementation agencies in Gwangju city, South Korea. Two-level hierarchical linear model was used for analysis. The major findings of this study are as follows. First, civil groups' participants were healthier, more often participated in business model, earned higher monthly income, participated shorter time rather than participants in social welfare corporation. Second, civil groups' participants showed low level of self-sufficiency than participants in social welfare corporations. These results means that self-support policy is not delivered uniformly because front-line implementation agencies develop work habits that influence the outcome of policy. And limitations and implications of this study were discussed with respect to further studies.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.413-443
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• 2011

The objectives of this study were to survey the level of social capital owned by self-support program participants, and to analyze the direct and indirect effects of social capital on their quality of life. Particularly because an individual's life is highly likely to be influenced by multiple aspects including human relation, this study purposed to determine the mediating effect of job satisfaction in the relation between social capital and the quality of life. The survey used a structured questionnaire, and in the contents of the questionnaire, the quality of life was selected as a dependent variable, social capital as an independent variable, and the job satisfaction as a mediating variable affecting the relation between social capital and the quality of life. The results of this study were as follows. First, as to the relation between self-support program participants' social capital and the quality of life, the network level and the normative level hand an important effect on the quality of life. Second, as to the relation between self-support program participants' social capital and job satisfaction, social capital had a negative effect on job satisfaction. Third, in the relation between self-support program participants' social capital and their quality of life, the mediating effect of job satisfaction was positive and this supports the spillover model among hypotheses on the relation between job satisfaction and the quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.111-125
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• 2012

The total fertility rate of our nation has been in the world's lowest level with constant falling since it reached an all-time low in 1983. The increase in economic participation of women, difficulties to balance work and family life, and traditional gender role and family norms in our society have been blamed for causing low birth rates. In addition, the current economic recession and increased polarization of wealth make it more difficult for working families to balance work and family life, resulting in lowering fertility rates. The Korean government has recently prepared the second five-year basic plan(2011-2015) to deal with low fertility and population ageing. The basic plan aims at providing support for working families in balancing work and family life and helping people ease the burden of marriage, childbirth, and raising their children. The work-family balance policies based on gender equality will do much to increase fertility rates in the future. In this context, this study examined current status and problems of balancing work and family life in our society, the Korean government and corporate policies for work-family balance, and the effects of policies on childbirth. Suggestions for future directions are presented.

• Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 2014

Objectives This study was conducted in order to investigate characteristics of temperament, depression, anxiety, attention, and impulsivity in adult males with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and internet addiction tendency. Methods The survey participants were 181 (121 patients and 60 healthy control subjects) adult males older than 19 years of age in Chung-Ang University Hospital and Gongju National Hospital. Subjects were divided according to ADHD with internet addiction tendency (AI), pure adults with ADHD (AD), and healthy control subjects (HC). All groups completed the Adult ADHD Scale (AADHD), Wender-Utah ADHD Rating Scale (WUADHD), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Korean Version of Young Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS-K), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and Temperament Character Inventory-Revised Short version for identification of relationship between ADHD and internet addiction tendency. Results AI groups were found to have higher AADHD, WUADHD, BDI, YIAS-K, and Novelty Seeking scores, compared to the AD and HC groups. The Cooperativeness score of the AI group was significantly lower than that of the AD group and HC group. The BAI and BIS scores of the AI group and AD group were significantly higher than those of the HC group. The Self-Directedness scores of the AI group and AD group were decreased, compared to the HC group. YIAS-K scores were partially related to BDI scores in the AI group. Conclusion The results of this study indicate an association of higher score of BDI with internet addiction tendency in adult patients with ADHD. Management of temperament characteristics, depression, anxiety, attention, and impulsivity may be important for adults with ADHD and internet addiction tendency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.375-383
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• 2023

Objectives: Coal-fired power plants feature diverse working conditions, including multi-layered employment structures and irregular work cycles due to outsourcing and non-standardized tasks. The current uniform occupational environment measurement systems have limitations in accurately assessing and evaluating these varied conditions. This study aims to propose alternative measurement and assessment strategies to supplement existing methods. Methods: Major domestic coal-fired power plants were selected as the study targets. To prepare for the study and establish strategies, work processes were identified and existing occupational environment measurement results were compared and analyzed. The study proceeded by employing three strategies: specific exposure groups (SEGs) measurement, continuous monitoring, and supplementary measurements, which were then compared and discussed. Results: Previous exposure index evaluations (5,268 cases) indicated that crystalline silica, a type of respirable particulate matter, had detection limits below the threshold (non-detectable) in 82.6% (4,349 cases) of instances. Exposures below 10% of the exposure limit were observed at a very low concentration of 96.1%. Similar exposure group measurements yielded results where detection limits were below the threshold in 38.2% of cases, and exposures below 10% of the limit were observed in 70.6%. Continuous monitoring indicated detection limits below the threshold in 12.6% of cases, and exposures below 10% of the limit were observed in 75.6%. Instances requiring active workplace management accounted for more than 30% of cases, with SEGs at 11.8% (four cases), showing a higher proportion compared to 3.0% (four cases) in continuous monitoring. For coal dust, exposures below 10% of the limit were highest in legal measurements at 90.2% (113 cases), followed by 74.0% (91 cases) in continuous monitoring, and 47.0% (16 cases) in SEGs. Instances exceeding 30% were most prevalent in SEGs at 14.7% (five cases), followed by legal measurements at 5.0% (eight cases), and continuous monitoring at 2.4% (three cases). When examining exposure levels through arithmetic means, crystalline silica was found to be 104.7% higher in SEGs at 0.0088 mg/m³ compared to 0.0043 mg/m³ in continuous monitoring. Coal dust measurements were highest in SEGs at 0.1247 mg/m³, followed by 0.1224 mg/m³ in legal measurements, and 0.0935 mg/m³ in continuous monitoring. Conclusions: Strategies involving SEGs measurement and continuous monitoring can enhance measurement reliability in environments with irregular work processes and frequent fluctuations in working conditions, as observed in coal-fired power plants. These strategies reduce the likelihood of omitting or underestimating processes and enhance measurement accuracy. In particular, a significant reduction in detection limits below the threshold for crystalline silica was observed. Supplementary measurements can identify worker exposure characteristics, uncover potential risks in blind spots of management, and provide a complementary method for legal measurements.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.11 no.spc
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• pp.97-115
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• 2005

This study investigated the factors that influence the attitude, trust, and acceptance toward the North Korean residents by South Koreans. Three hundred and ninety-two South Koreans, including 222 with no contact experience with North Korean residents and 170 with contact experience, answered a questionnaire. The experience group included police officers who provide protection and settlement service, labor counsellors, social workers, church people, college classmates and tutors, and teachers in alternative schools for North Korean youths. The results indicated that protecting police officers have highly negative attitudes in both cognitive and affective dimensions and also show low trust and acceptance. Teachers in alternative schools, on the other hand, were found to have both positive and negative cognitive evaluations of North Korean residents, but still maintained positive affect and high trust and acceptance. People with no contact experience had negative affect along with pity, and showed medium level trust and acceptance. The distinctive difference between the police officers and teachers were attributed to the individual characteristics such as authoritarian personality and uncertainty avoidance rather than to the frequency or depth of contact. The most important determinant of trust and acceptance were found to be the affective component. The implications of these findings on the selection and training of interface personnel and peace education were discussed.