• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.139-162
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• 2014

This paper critically examines the existing discourses about 'relationship', a key element of social work practice and questingly examines Lao-tzu's work of Tao Te Ching, the book of way and virtue, as an alternative theoretical framework for social work relationship. Compared to current discourses of relationship beleaguered by either modernism or postmodernism, both of which are in the deadlock of binary perspective, the insights and vision in Tao Te Ching are successfully able to overcome the limits of them and provide new and profound way of thinking about human, society and their relationship. Especially core cannons crystallized by natural humanistic concepts for cosmos coupled with innate critical power against artificial manipulations of world can extend the horizon of understanding concerning the relationship between client and social workers and therefore provide a new and attractive roles in professional relationship. Moreover, opposed to usual images of Lao-tzu's ideas such as nihilism and passivity, alternative relationship of social work can play an important role of caring the disordered reality where Dao disappered and criticise the selfish desires of individuals and comport the broken-hearted minds in modern society. In addition, results of this paper implies that more extended study articulating ideas of Tao Te Ching with the social work practice would have lots of potentials to promote later researches in quest of 'Korean' social work practice.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.263-288
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• 2014

The goal of this research is to discover various cognitive types on social work practice by using Q methodology which explores subjectivities of human beings. The researchers selected 40 Q items among 293 Q populations from data through in-depth interviews of eight social workers and literature reviews, and the reliability was r=.816. Twenty-nine social workers sorted Q items and the obtained data was analysed by the QUANL program. The perception types were divided into three patterns and the eigen value was .5849. Three perception types on social workers' practices were 'relationship-centered(type 1)', 'change-centered(type 2)' and 'resource-centered(type 3)' practices. These types were different in perceptions on identification of relationship with clients, key characteristics, skills and strengths as a social worker. According to these results, the researchers offered some significant implications and suggested several following studies.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.35-65
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the Korean social workers' level of social work values and advocacy(attitudes and strategies) and to verify the relations among social work education, social work advocacy and social work values by examining whether social work education influences social work advocacy and social work values, and whether social work values affect social work advocacy. Further, this study wishes to confirm not only the direct effect that social work education has on social work advocacy, but also how social work education indirectly influences social work advocacy through social work values as a mediator. The research of this study was conducted on 242 social workers who have obtained social worker licenses and are currently working in the community centers. As survey tools, this study utilized social work advocacy attitudes, social work advocacy strategies, outcomes of social work education, social work values, self-esteem and locus of control. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS/PC+ 12.0 for descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. The research hypothesis was established according to the analysis method of the testing mediation of Baron & Kenny (1986) in order to examine whether social work values intervene between social work education and social work advocacy. The results of the hypothesis test confirm that social work values on the social level serve as a mediator variable.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.69 no.4
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• pp.99-125
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• 2017

Recent social studies on space have focused on changing the social relations that activate in space. In general, these studies have been based on the concept of social space on which is grounded the power-relation analysis such as power, oppression, resource allocation, and so on. Social work practice has traditionally recognized the importance of the environment surrounding human beings. Nonetheless, social work practice has tended to comprehend space in a neutral and abstract way because it has insufficiently considered modern spatial theories. For this reason, this study focusing on Lefebvre's social space theory reviewed the contemporary discourses on space in the area of social work practice. Following the review, this study attempted to establish the concept of "Space-based Social Work Practice". Specifically, this study analyzed the actual cases in social work field and explored the applicability of "SSWP". According to the results, this study delivered the implications of Space-based Social Work Practice as an alternative method and suggested the practical direction of SSWP.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.349-373
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• 2010

The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the way of knowledge production in social welfare and to graft feminist epistemology to the discipline of social welfare. To put it more concretely, as analyzing the epistemological and methodological issues appeared in the articles in "orean Journal of Social Welfare", this study examines the meanings of feminist epistemology and its implications to research and practice in social welfare. From its onset, feminist research criticized the 'mainstream' ways of conceptualizing knowledge construction via research conducted upon a positivist epistemological position. Particularly, western feminists have problematized the androcentric bias embedded within the so-called 'social sciences' that we have taken for granted as 'scientific,' 'objective,' and 'neutral,' and attempted to redirect and reformulate the way of knowledge production with new concepts of 'strong objectivity,' 'partial/situated knowledge,' and 'strong reflection.' We believe that the implications of feminist epistemology to enable us to reflect the power relationship between subject and object, I and Other, and the researcher and the researched will contribute to recover the original vision of social welfare as critical theory and liberating practice in social work.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.465-497
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• 2013

This paper criticizes the ontological and epistemological dichotomy in social sciences including social welfare and probes into Critical Realism as an alternative paradigm. Many theories for social welfare have adhered to dichotomous ontological standpoint, 'agency' vs. 'social structure', and Eco-system approach have occupied dominant position to integrate this dichotomy. These theoretical standpoint have had great influence on social work practice. On the other hand, dichotomous epistemological standpoint which is constituted of different views of phenomena, 'positivism' and 'constructionism', have had great influence on social work research and practice. These dichotomous ontological and epistemological approach have a limit to reveal qualitative nature of the relationship between agency and social structure, to ponder the deeper reality, the mechanism of stratified reality, and the reality being independent of agency. Replacing these approaches, Critical Realism unfold the theoretical potential as an alternative paradigm for social welfare through the discussion on stratified realty(the empirical, the actual, and the real), intransitive/transitive dimension, double hermeneutics in these dimensions, and the conditions for conceptualization, duality of structure and practice, transformation model of agency and structure.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.299-324
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• 2013

Institutional Ethnography, a methodology, developed by Dorothy Smith in Canada. Institutional Ethnography is different from traditional ethnography. Also it differs from various kinds of ethnographies such as interpretive ethnography, political ethnography, organizational ethnography, feminist ethnography, auto ethnohraphy. Institutional Ethnography explores social organization of everyday's actualities in institutional settings. This study introduces the outlines of institutional ethnography and examines the usefullness and implications in social welfare knowledge. Usefulness and implications of institutional ethnography follows: 1) expansion and specification of knowledges of 'organized actualities' in social welfare practice and policy fields 2) discovery of specific points for institutional changes in social welfare fields 3) production of social welfare knowledge from the standpoint of ruled, oppressed peoples.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.79-101
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• 2015

What is the role of welfare discourse? Michel Foucault suggests the power and knowledge relation that power in a particular society and period controls the society and members by creating knowledge affecting the formation of cognitive and normative systems. Having the formation of exclusions(constraint of cognition), and materiality and reality(normative system) as an analytical framework, this article attempts the exploration of welfare discourse analyses with public statements relating to welfare subjects of the four former Korean presidents. As a result, It is found that dominant epistemic system is formed by balancing welfare and growth and regarding jobs as the best welfare(the linkage of welfare-growth-employment), emphasizing individual economic responsibility and self-reliance, pursuing welfare selectivism, and excluding comprehensive welfare provisions. At the same time, it is observed that power is not always formulating systematic knowledge and that there is a gap between cognition and norm. While the Foucauldian discourse analysis provides a causal inference about low social welfare expenditure, excessive focus on the role of power as knowledge generator and infuser causes a question of how to accommodate contemporary changes into knowledge system.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.151-178
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• 2016

The primary goal of the current study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between household income, main caregiver depression, and youth aggression from the interactionist perspective. The data were derived by combining the 2006, 2009 and 2012 survey waves from the Korean Welfare Panel Study. This data set covered the full span of adolescence from elementary to high school. The study utilized 561 families as the final sample and conducted autoregressive cross-lagged analysis. As a result, the early income status, main caregiver depression and youth aggression were likely maintained over time. Second, the results provided support for a reciprocal relationship between income and main caregiver depression. On the other hand, the reciprocal relationship between main caregiver depression and youth aggression was not found in the current study. Finally, the mediating effect of main caregiver depression between income and youth aggression was not found in the present study. In conclusion, the results of this study support the interactionist model in that the association between family income and main caregiver depression involves reciprocity and mutual influence across time. These findings have major implications for policy and interventions in regards to low-income families.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.37-61
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• 2009

The diagnosis of breast cancer can have a significant impact upon all family members in psychological and practical aspects. The impact of breast cancer may have a particularly strong impact on the spouse and the marital relationship. Breast cancer can alter the couple's emotional balance, finances, division of responsibilities and social activities. However, little empirical evidence exists investigating support-related exchanges between patient and spouse in Korea. Therefore, it is meaningful to address psychosocial effect and change of marital relationship in context of breast cancer. This article reviews 34 studies (1987-2009) on marital relationship in the context of breast cancer. Results indicate that the psychosocial impact of breast cancer on the healthy spouse and patient, spouse's effects on quality of life, adaptation, distress of breast cancer patients, and impact of breast cancer on marital relationship. Several recommendations can be made for oncology health professionals working with families of cancer patients such as the need for longitudinal and comprehensive study