• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.939-967
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• 2011

This study observed elderly women's adaptation process on separation by death in rural areas through grounded theory approach and developed its entity theory. Participants for this study were 14 elderly women who have lost their husbands in the last 12 months. The study was conducted for 8 months starting January 2010. Each interview per session took 40 to 90 minutes, study notes were taken on site, and recorded contents were transcribed by the researcher which was myself. The research data were collected by in-depth interview and with help of local community's nurses who were in charge of taking care of the participants. The collected data were analyzed by applying Strauss & Corbin's grounded theory (1998). As a result of study, 80 concepts, 28 subcategories, and 12 categories were deducted during open coding process. Adaptation process on separation by death was process of 'finding a way to live alone' which used strategy of 'attempting a make changes in life', and 'embracing the situation' which were influenced by conciliatory conditions of 'degree on economic condition', 'change in health', and 'supporting system' which focuses on phenomenon of 'bearing life alone' which is influenced by context condition of 'marital chemistry of couples during lifetime', and 'the couple's leadership during lifetime' together with casual conditions of 'the fall of wall'. The adaptation process accordance to time flow were divided into 4 steps which were step of 'shock and release of emotions', step of 'longing and resentment', step of 'resignation and acceptance', and step of 'life's restructure'. Above results suggest right directions for welfare for the aged and process of 'finding a way to live alone' for participants by controlling several factors and using intervention strategy, and provided basic data required for developing and applying practical welfare mediation.

• 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.