• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.56
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• pp.133-164
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• 2016

This study investigated the effect of housing poverty in childhood on adolescents' subjective well-being. Specifically, this study examined whether the major factors that have been known to affect adolescents' well-being (i.e., family relationships, peer relationships, school adjustment etc.) mediated the relationship between housing poverty and adolescents' well-being. And then this study aimed to present an empirical evidence for establishing policies against housing poverty in order to enhance adolescent's subjective happiness. Data were derived from the $1^{st}$, $4^{th}$, and $7^{th}$ surveys of the Korea Welfare Panel Study(KOWEPS), and the sample included. 512 high school children in the $7^{th}$ survey. This study utilized structural equation modeling. Housing poverty was measured by the sub-minimum standard housing condition and the household's burden of housing expenditure. Family relationship, as a mediator, was measured by parental involvement in education, parental monitoring, and family conflicts. Another mediator, school adjustment was measured by school environment and school bonding, and the last mediator, peer relationship was measured by friend attachment and peer attachment. The results showed that housing poverty had significant negative effects on the adolescents' subjective well-being. The sub-minimum standard housing condition with inadequate size and facilities negatively affected adolescents' relationships with family directly and subjective well-being indirectly. In addition, the negative family relationships due to the sub-minimum standard housing condition negatively affected adolescents' subjective well-being through school adjustment and peer relationships. The greater the proportion of income a household spends on housing expenditure, the less likely for adolescents to report positive well-being. The sub-minimum standard housing condition had indirect effects through family relationships, whereas the household's housing expenditure directly affected adolescents' subjective well-being. This study suggested the necessity of interventions to alleviate housing poverty for adolescents' families and lays the groundwork for housing poverty policies in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.19-37
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• 2012

This study aims to give a broad overview of family-related contents in home economics from the 1st national curriculum to the 2007 revised national curriculum, thereby contributing to value fulfillment, textbook research, and educational development of home economics. The findings are summed up as follows: First, this study looks at the change of family-related goals and contents in home economics tutorials by national curriculum. Family-related goals shift a focus from a member of nation to individual pursuit of happiness, and the scope of family-related contents expands from a part of family (i.e. understanding of children) to every aspect of family life. Second, family-related contents record a higher share in home economics textbooks at the later stage of national curriculum. Third, this study classifies the change of family-related contents in home economics textbooks by national curriculum into seven categories: understanding of human development, process of human development, parenting and parental roles, understanding of family and family transition, marriage and family development, family relationship and issues, and family well-being. In particular, 'understanding of human development' underscores fundamental principles between the 3rd~6th national curriculum, 'process of human development' broadens its initial focuses on infancy and the preschool period to every scope of human development after the 5th national curriculum. 'Parenting and parental role' continues to stress parental roles and duties plus childcare for infants and preschoolers. In 'understanding of family and family transition,' national curriculums show the biggest difference in family perspectives subject to social change, and later national curriculums feature various family types recently on the rise. In 'marriage and family development,' initial national curriculums construe marriage as a necessity, whereas later national curriculums emphasize it as a matter of choice intertwined with mature love and responsibility. With coming under spotlight in recent national curriculum, 'family relationship and issues' highlights communication and family views based on gender equality for family unity. 'Family well-being' constitutes a pivotal part in the 2007 revised national curriculum, and it has recently emerged as the hottest issue in the family area as it presents lifelong welfare.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.127-152
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• 2012

The research investigates the attitudes toward children among mothers young children and maternal grandmothers, focusing specifically on the ideal number of children, gender preference, old age security and positive and negative values of children. A total of 442 respondents, consisting of 221 young mothers (average age of 35) and 221 maternal grandmothers (average age of 63) completed a questionnaire developed by Kim, Park and Kwon (2005). The reliability of the scales ranged from Cronbach α of .78 to .91. The results are as follows. First, as for the ideal number of children, young mothers reported that they would prefer two children, while grandmothers reported that they would prefer four children. As for the ideal number of male child, young mothers reported that they would prefer that they would prefer one son, while grandmothers reported two sons. Second, as for the gender of the child, young mothers did not show a gender preference, while grandmothers stated that at least one child should be a son, especially if it is the only child. Third, grandmothers had higher expectation of old age security in their male child than young mothers but two groups did not show any difference for the female child. Fourth, as for positive values of children, young mothers were more likely to emphasize personal aspects (i.e., psychological pleasure and happiness) and family cohesiveness, while grandmothers were more likely to emphasize social aspects (i.e., continuing the family line and old age security. As for negative values of children, young mothers were more likely to emphasize personal aspects (i.e., parental role and responsibility), while grandmothers were more likely to emphasize social aspects (i.e., family conflict and relationship). Fifth, as for factors that influenced the number of children that they decided to have, young mothers were more likely to report negative values of children (i.e., financial constraints), while grandmothers were more likely to emphasize positive values of children (i.e., continuing the family line).