• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.65-84
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• 2010

This study examined poor custodial grandparents' life story and care-giving experiences of their grandchildren. 8 grandparents were selected and in-depth interview and participant observation method were used. They showed a miserable life from the birth and discriminative experience of the deprivation of educational opportunities as childhood nadir experiences. They showed the regret for their inability as youth/midlife low point and financial difficulty as old life nadir experiences. In terms of care-giving experiences of their grandchildren, they showed non-voluntary care-giving, anxiety for the generational continuation of hardship, and lack of familial assistance. Poor custodial grandparents also used family-centered value, community-based social assistance, and self-assurance through their sacrifice as their adjustment strategy. Several research themes such as the importance of basic trust in childhood, the experience of financial difficulties, the importance of community-based social assistance, and self-assurance through their sacrifice were suggested for further research.