• 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.16 no.5
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• pp.760-771
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine whether social support produced any mediating effects when needy single mothers' sense of social exclusion affected their own will to escape poverty. The subjects in this study were 376 poor single mothers who resided in the cities of Busan, Gimhae and Yangsan and who were in their 20s to 60s. The findings of the study were as follows: First, the single mothers who lived in poverty were given less social support when they felt more excluded in the dimensions of health, relationships, production, consumption, political participation and housing. Second, the needy single mothers had a more will to escape poverty when more social support was provided and less will to escape poverty when they felt more excluded in the dimensions of health, relationships, production, consumption, political participation and housing. Third, social support produced mediating effects when social exclusion affected the will to escape poverty. The findings of the study suggest that in order to relieve needy single mothers' sense of social exclusion and bolster their will to escape poverty, formal social support from the nation and local community and informal social support from neighbors, friends and relatives should both be strengthened.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2014

One-parent family is increasing in Korea, changing its forms and identity. One-parent family policy policy should be established in terms of gender analysis, as men-headed family and women-headed family are in the very different situation regarding social status of gender. One-parent family policy needs gender-sensitive perspectives and also should be closely linked with child welfare policy and post-poverty strategies. This paper suggests distinguished situation of one-parent family by gender, and tries to explore specific ways of supporting one-parent family. Most of all, to set up the proper supporting system for one-parent family, the special needs and difficulties are analyzed by gender, which will lead towards the cohesive and holistic family policy.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.245-269
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• 2013

Self-sufficiency has been recognized as one of the most important welfare goals for women in the domestic violence field since the welfare reform in the U.S. A qualitative research design was conducted to explore the self-sufficiency experience of Korean-American single mothers with the history of domestic violence in poverty. The meaning of 'self-sufficiency' to participants is that a continuing task or process in life to move toward being independent mentally as well as economically. Their challenges toward self-sufficiency include the period of restoration of their potentials for self-sufficiency destroyed by domestic violence victimization and divorce, and the period of developing their sustainability for self-sufficiency. Their needs for 'help and support similar to care from the woman's parents' home', 'welfare service of select and concentration', 'mature dependency and self-sufficiency', and 'self-sufficiency from survival to dream come true' to cope with the challenges formentioned are reported. Concrete strategies for the development of self-sufficiency polices and services sensitive to immigrant single mothers with the history of domestic violence are suggested.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.5-37
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to see the motive, processes and strategies of change in poor single mother self-help group and analyze meaning in the self help group, agencies and themselves by change. As to this discussion, We seek to grope practical ways for self-help group. By using Participatory Action Research, We intended to an alternative plan in collaborating between practitioners and all concerned. Following four-step-process in this methodology, we explored processes of changing and considered social work practical meaning. On results, first, The motive have come from critical minds that motivate them to choose their way subjectively. We concluded that they have a necessity of change as a groping activity within their capability. Second, On process trying to be changed, They have made initiative decisions about how extensive and deep their changes should be, by discussion being themselves. So they have agreed to aim at purposeful activities beyond just emotional support. Third, they suggested and planned meaningful action as a specific strategy for changing and all these were done by local community volunteering and lecturing for supporting single mother. In conclusion, The 'Change' single mother group activity aim at is, based on subjective decision, to change a practice of a social worker into a practice of participant, and to develop social empowerment more improved to control social condition, which is forming their life, by their own choice. Furthermore, It needs to be considered approach to Community for overcome limits of self help group activities. Based on these consequences, We presented social work practical meaning.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.311-321
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• 2013

Health is an essential element of human living and participation in society. Due to its significance, government tries to maintain the healthy life of tis people by providing health care and enhancement systems that focus on health welfare. Despite such efforts, there is still a loophole in the public system. The health problem in socially disadvantaged people, especially single mothers, becomes the cause of poverty, and the poverty again results in the poor health conditions. That is why the private sector became interested in this health issue. In this case study about the participants in the healthcare support programs for single mothers in the private sector, their experience and change related on participation in the programs were investigated in depth. As results, the following significance and quantitative performance in supporting the health right for single mothers were explored. Since single mothers could not have cared for their health because their duty for not only parenting but also family's living, th participants thought that they attained good fortunes and their own social networks. Moreover, their life attitude changed to active and their family relationship was also improved as they got out of ambiguous anxiety of health and attained self confidence.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.251-277
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• 2015

This qualitative study is designed for the reconstruction of the experience of single mothers in poverty based on the bottom-up approach. Welfare dependency is identified as vital help to protect their own and children's lives, through their stories telling that welfare services provided by government and community take care of them "in place of their husbands", and "raise them up by hand." What is self-sufficiency to them is more of a process-orientation through welfare dependency than a state out of it, and a way to look through building their self-esteem and working to discover their self-worth except their economic power. Restoring their potential to self-sufficiency through dealing with their psycho-social stresses and expanding services for them related to child-care(education) and occupation ability development for long-term self-sufficiency, rather than hasty focusing on welfare exit, should be built on the foundation of helping them self-sufficient. In order for the self-sufficiency program to overcome the participant's images of "subordination and stigma" and to convey the original meaning of "welfare to work", the performance and evaluation system of self-sufficiency programs that reflects the insider's perspectives on their participation motive and process, and the self-sufficiency program customized for their needs and interests should be encouraged to develop.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.137-152
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• 2017

This study aims to explore life experience of divorced mothers' self-independence and to search for ways of helping their self-independence in social welfare practices. Researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 10 divorced mothers about life experience of psycho-social and economic spheres, child care, job experience, etc. The results of this study showed that the single mothers had experienced psychological distress of depression, feeling of reject and betrayal, difficulties in child care, and so on. They had experienced of various jobs to cope with economic difficulties. After divorce, they had explored informations and support resources to receive help for their children, and they endeavored to acquire a certificate of qualifications. They accepted their divorces in themselves and they rebuilt relationships with ex-husband, excised perceptions of self-control in finances and child discipline spheres. And they established of mid-to long-term life goals, and did not abandon their dreams and visions in despite of their poor qualities. Based on these results of this study, the ways of social welfare practices to help and support single mothers' self-independence were suggested in the conclusion part of this study.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.127-153
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• 2004

In the absence of a male provider the state must decide how far and under what conditions it will provide for the mother and her children. In the case of lone mothers, there are three main possible sources of income: the labour market, the absent father, and the state. However, the relative proportions of these three sources vary significantly from country to country as well as from individual to individual within the group of lone parents. Until very recently the UK has been alone among countries of the EU in allowing lone parents to draw benefits without making themselves available for work so long as they have dependent children. However, in the 1990s, the UK government introduced major changes to his policies regarding lone parents. The UK government attempted to restrict the role of the state as a source of income for lone parent families. At the beginning of the 1990s, the emphasis in the UK was put on securing more money from 'absent fathers' to maintain. However, the policy was unsuccessful and by the mid-1990s attention to the only other possible source of income for lone parent families, the labour market, was stepped up, notwithstanding the ambivalence of politicians about the desirability of women with young children entering employment. From 1998 the Labour government introduced a series of reforms aimed at reducing both worklessness and poverty by raising welfare payments to families both in and out of work, improving financial incentives to work and introducing a more proactive welfare system. The results presented here suggest that these policies have raised the employment rates of lone parents by around 5 percentage points, or 80,000. These employment gains have come from a welfare reform package that does not require lone parents to search for jobs, or uses time limits in welfare programmes. In addition these gains have been achieved despite generous increases in welfare payments for lone parents who do not work. These earnings gains combined with the more generous welfare are making rapid progress in reducing lone parents' poverty.