• 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.