• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.167-194
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• 2004

This paper examine the gender-poverty gap and the feminization of poverty in Korea with using data from the National Survey Household Income & Expenditure(1996, 2000) and the Urban Survey Household Income & Expenditure(1996-2002) by Korea National Statistical Office. The poverty rate in 2000 was 16.9 percent for female-head families and 7.9 percent for male-head families, which means that female-head families were 2.6 times more likely to be poor than male-head families. With examining impact of economic crisis in 1998 on gender-poverty gap, it show that both the poverty rate of female-head and male-head increase radically in peak of economic crisis, while, in the stage of recovering economy, the poverty rate of male-head families recovered mostly the level before economic crisis, but that of female-head families recover only the 2/3 level before and the 1/3 remain still under poverty. Thus gender-poverty gap appeared bigger during passing through economic crisis. With analyzing on influence factors of poverty, it appear that poverty is influenced by gender itself as well as education level, working condition which is reflected substantially characteristics of gender. Such an analysis results mean that the considering gender dimension is necessary to resolve poverty fundamentally because gender is a point intersection among family, labour market, and social security. Therefore it appears certain that to develop and adopt of women-friendly social policy is effective approach, which could resolve poverty and social problems related to social rights.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.191-216
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• 2007

This study focuses on the problem of feminization of poverty that is formed within family relations. In order to approach this question, this study analyses the process of becoming poor through the life stories of ten woman are now heads of a household. There are differences among the study participants in the process of becoming a member of a low-income class. I have classified them into two groups depending on the routes they are led into the low-income class; one is the continuation of poverty group, and the other is the new members of the low-income class group. The continuation of poverty group is the case where they have been poor since their childhood and are still poor in their adulthood. The new members of the low-income class group is the case where you have become a low-income class sometime around divorce. The difference of the groups are related to the differences of the ways the power relationships work within a family. Women head of a household are prone to poverty because of the discrimination in formation, distribution and control of resources in their original family and their family formed by marriage. The norm of male breadwinner worked as a discrimination device. But this kind of discrimination device showed differences in their workings according to class. The continuation of poverty group experienced exclusion in the gendered responsibility of supporting the family and maintaining the family, whereas the other group experienced exclusion through the gendered nature of the distribution and control of resources. By showing that the presupposition of discussions on the poverty of woman head of a household is false, these findings challenge the existing view that as long as 'The Family' is maintained women will not be poor.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.333-354
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• 2009

This study decomposes the gender differences on poverty to explain the causes of the poverty gap between male- and female-headed households. In order to do this, we start from examining the extent of the poverty gap between maleand female-headed families and then conduct decomposition of poverty differences by gender using the Oaxaca method. This paper uses the (Urban) Family Budget Survey data from 1982 to 2008 and measures poverty using 50% of the median income poverty line. Major findings of this study are as follows: First, in 2008, the coefficient effect explains 70% or more of the total gender-poverty gap. Second, the trend of gender-poverty gap in the period of 1982~2008 shows that the poverty gap by gender increased in the 1980s', decreased in the 1990s', and a re-increased in 2000s'. Third, comparing the decomposition results in 1982, 1989, 1999, 2008, we found that the share of characteristic effect of the total gender poverty gap has been increased gradually over time. It means the characteristics of the female-headed households have become worse than those of the male-headed households in urban working families. At the same time, the still large coefficient effect suggests that the problems such as the discrimination against matriarchs or the lack of social support for them still play important roles among urban working families in Korea.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.73-87
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the economic deprivation of male-headed or female-headed households. Household having children under the age of 18 are categorized into three types according to the gender of household head: male-headed household, female-headed household, and dual-parents household. The findings from data, for this study came from the Korean Labor Panel Study in 2003. The analysis shows that the household's age, education, residence types, etc are key explanatory variables in determining whether to be in poverty. While the public income transfer is most effective in reducing poverty in female-headed households, the private income source is relatively more useful among male-headed families. Since single-household families are particularly at risk, public policy makers should pay special attentions to developing and expanding welfare-to-work programs which provides work incentives to overcome relative poverty and community networks on child care.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.237-247
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of social security benefits to poverty alleviation. To this end, this study analyzed the poverty alleviation effect of public pension, basic pension, child-rearing allowance, disability allowance, basic living security subsidy, EITC, and other government subsidies using 2019 Household Financial Welfare Survey. The analysis results are as follows. First, social security benefits lowered the poverty rate by 6.8%p. Second, in terms of the poverty gap reduction effect, the public pension for the elderly male households, the basic pension for the elderly female householder, and the basic guarantee for the working female householder contributed the most. Finally, in terms of poverty alleviation efficiency, about 33% of social security benefits contribute to narrowing the poverty gap. Social security benefits for female heads of households were found to serve as a function of alleviating poverty gap and for male heads of households to supplement household income. Based on these results, this study suggested the discovery of various poverty states, expansion of basic security for the female elderly, and the connection between the purpose of social security benefits and key targets.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.183-206
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• 2013

Using Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (wave 1~11) database, this study analyzed the poverty duration of the poor as a whole and by households' characteristics. For this purpose, I first estimated poverty exit rates and reentry rates applying discrete-time hazard model to the sample, and then calculated poverty duration combining these two probability rates. The results show that about a half of poor households are transitory (short-term) poor with 1~2 years of poverty duration. A quarter is chronic (long-term) poor lasting for 5 or more years of poverty duration. The remained quarter can be categorized as the recurrent or mid-term poor. The socioeconomic characteristics of households greatly affect poverty duration. Long-term poverty is prevalent among female-head households, elderly households, single households, or households headed by a person with a lower level of education. If households' heads do not work, or work as temporary or daily-employed workers, the poverty duration tends to be longer. The findings suggest that the poor consist of various social classes with different characteristics. Efficient anti-poverty policy should be based on thoroughly identifying the specific characteristics and needs of each class.

• 한국사회복지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.303-316
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• 1998

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.143-169
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• 2007

The major purpose of this study was to offer a comprehensive analysis of the changing trends and causes of poverty among urban wage earners' households from 1995 to 2005. In order to do that, this study used the micro data of "Income and Expenditure Survey of Urban Households" by the National Statistical Office(NSO) and GEE(Generalized estimating equation) regression model which is know as an appropriate method for the longitudinal and clustering data. The results show that (1) the numbers of poverty rate and poverty gap in recent years are even getting seriously worse than those in the IMF crisis. (2) Main characteristics of poor are female headed, old aged, low educated households, and having atypical working position. (3) Major determinants of poverty are also related to the variables as mentioned the above. (4) However, poverty reduction effect of public transfer increased preferably in recent years.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.43
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• pp.61-85
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to examine how labour transition of female householders is proceeded, and to identify mechanisms that cause them to be excluded from labor market. For this, thirteen lone mothers who have had labor experience in the market, while raising children were interviewed. This qualitative case study was proceeded by way of participants' interviews and questionnaires. Finding shows, impoverished lone mothers were horizontally moving incessantly on second labor market. As poverty worsens by years, poor lone mothers tend to be more dependant on the government's support and to transit downward to work-poor labor market. The unprivileged women were excluded from multi-dimentions: market structure, social relations and gender norms. The sex-segmental and human capital-oriented market has excluded women who gave up their career for caring. Female breadwinners were frequently excluded from social relations and opportunities for labor due to their stigma. sometimes they were self-excluded from the market for they had to care for their children. In conclusion, suggestions are given to enhance qualities of lone mother's lives and help them exit from poverty. It is necessary to implement positive labor policy with labor flexibility and stability and to practice socialization of care as care support system is very important for maintaining their jobs. Above all, social awareness of gender role must be changed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.175-199
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• 2013

This study was to investigate working experience of poor female-headed families in social enterprise focusing on empowerment process. For this study, nine female-headed women were interviewed and the collected qualitative data were analyzed through phenomenological research method. Main results of this study provided eight main construct factors, such as the intersection of hope and unhappy, economic independence through being alone, finding myself strong and worthy, consciousness of horizontal bondage, trouble situation, professionalism and pride, capacity to problem solving and self-importance of contribution to society. Based on the results of this study, working experience of poor female-headed families in social enterprise was strengthened from personal level and relational level to social level. Therefore, various policies and practical programs should be prepared to improve empowerment of female-headed families in poverty working in social enterprise.