• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.53
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• pp.129-153
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• 2003

This study examines the socio-economic impacts of recent welfare reform in the United States. Based on the neo-conservative critique to the traditional public assistance system for low-income families, the 1996 welfare reform has given greater emphases on reducing welfare dependency and increasing work effort and self-sufficiency among welfare recipients. In particular, the welfare reform legislation instituted 60-month lifetime limits on cash assistance, expanded mandatory work requirements, and placed financial penalties for noncompliance. With the well-timed economic boom in the second half of the 1990s, the welfare reform seems to achieve considerable progress; welfare caseload has declined sharply to reach less than 50% of its 1994 peak, single mothers' labor force participation has increased substantially, and child poverty has decreased. In spite of these good signals, the welfare reform also has several potential problems. Many welfare leavers participate in the labor market, but not all (or most) of them. The economic well being of working welfare leavers did not increased significantly, because earnings increase was canceled out by parallel decrease in welfare benefits. Furthermore, most of working welfare leavers are employed in jobs with poor employment stability and low wages, making them highly vulnerable to frequent layoff, long-time joblessness, persistent poverty, and welfare recidivism. Another serious problem of the welfare reform is that a substantial number of welfare recipients are faced with extreme difficulties in finding jobs, because they have severe barriers to employment. The new welfare system with 5-year time limit can severely threaten the livelihoods of these people. The welfare reform presupposes that welfare recipients can achieve self-reliance by increasing their labor market activities. However, empirical evidences suggest that many people are unable to respond to the new, work-oriented welfare strategy. It may be a very difficult task to achieve both objectives of the welfare reform((1) providing adequate income security for low-income families and (2) promoting self-sufficiency) at the same time, because sometimes they are conflicting each other. With this in mind, a possible solution can be to distinguish welfare recipients into "(Very)-Hard-to-Employ" group and "(Relatively)-Ready-to-Work" group, based on elaborate examinations of a wide range of personal conditions. For the former group, the primary objective of welfare policies should be the first one(providing income security). For the "Ready-to-Work" group, follow-up services to promote job retention and advancement, as well as skill-training and job-search services, are very important. The U. S. experiences of the welfare reform provide some useful implications for newly developing Korean public assistance policies for the able-bodied low-income population.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.295-304
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• 2017

The purpose of the study was to develop welfare technology classification frame according to welfare needs, function, and ICT technology and to explore current trends in Korean welfare technology application for older adults and people with disabilities. A systematic literature review and descriptive statistics were used for data analyses. Korean welfare technology services were categorized by a new welfare technology classification frame with five components for welfare needs and function and eight ICT technologies. Self-reliance and self-help emerged as the most frequent welfare needs and function. The use of ICT devices was frequently applied to welfare technology services. Our findings suggest that it is important to use a new welfare technology classification frame and to apply it to welfare technology in Korea. Further research is necessary to seek for future directions in Korean welfare technology.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.456-477
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data on practical intervention strategies that many people with disabilities can empower in the future by analyzing the experiences in which people with disabilities were empowered through Encounter group counseling program focusing on people with physical disabilities and brain lesions, who account for 50% of all people with disabilities. The research questions were: First, did people with disabilities get empowerment experiences through an Encounter group counseling program? Second, what kind of empowerment experiences did people with disabilities begin to have through the program? In this study, a focus group interview was conducted with the participants of the program to qualitatively evaluate the empowerment experiences from the Encounter group program. The participants were people with physical disabilities and brain lesions experiencing Encounter group counseling programs at the self-reliance center in Seoul from 2015 to 2019. As a result of the analysis, 7 components, and 17 sub-components were derived, which were grouped into three themes: 1) restoring self relationship 2) forming new relationship with others, and 3) realizing a sense of solidarity with society. The research results were discussed considering the impact of the Encounter program on personal, interpersonal, and social empowerment of people with disabilities and finally, limitations of the study and suggestions for follow-up studies were presented.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.203-236
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• 2015

Given the interdependence of a marital couple, this study examined the effects of both cultural challenge and economic hardship on intention to divorce among the multicultural couple using the actor-partner interdependence model(APIM), and explored dyadic patterns of actor and partner effects. 415 couples(n=830) participated in this self-administered questionnaire study. Results of path analyses based on APIMs revealed that for Korean husbands perceived cultural challenge contributed positively to divorce intention of the couple showing both actor and partner effects, whereas for immigrant wives such perception showed only an actor effect. In contrast, perceived economic hardship among the husbands had little effect on divorce intention of both husbands and wives, whereas such perception by wives had both actor and partner effects on divorce intention. Results of dyadic pattern analyses performed by Bootstrap indicated the actor-only pattern and the couple pattern of perceived cultural challenge on divorce intention of husbands and wives respectively. In case of perceived economic hardship comparison of the effect size suggested the partner-only pattern and the actor-only pattern for divorce intention of husbands and wives respectively. These findings implied that in order to promote conjugal harmony and to prevent the multicultural family from being dissolved, Korean husbands need to develop greater cultural competence so as to tolerate cultural differences between the couple, whereas immigrant wives and their families need to develop greater economic competence so as to foster a hope for economic reliance.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.417-426
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• 2019

This researched is an investigation about the youths runaways street life experienced, the crimes committed through the influenced living in the street by looking into the effectiveness of the youth welfare and make an observation of their direction. The survey was conducted on young people who met in the youth shelter and outreach program, and finally analyzed 259 copies. The results of the study are as follows. First, When comparing the ages of the runaway youths if not properly given a support, services and prevention after running away from home, these youth will live their life in the street until their adolescents. Second, Runaway youth shelter has been providing the needs of those runaway youth who came in the shelter. However, it needs necessary new policy and services that will augment the support in solving problems of the youths when they visit youth shelter to ask for help and support. Third, It can be seen that the flight behavior after the street life is increased. They are in a situation where they have no choice but to join the juveniles for street life. Finally, Street life Youth self-reliance, support for living expenses, housing facilities, job opportunities, technical and job skill training were highly desired by the youths. Eventually, the intervention of youth living in street life requires a multifaceted support such as housing, labor, education, and welfare.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 1993

Korea has successfully achieved a lowered fertility level owing to the strong population control policy and effective family planning program. Along with fertility decline and decreased number of children in family, average number of household members has decreased and nontraditional households such as one person household and households composed of unrelated individuals have prolifirated, even though the absolute number of them are found minimal in Korea. However in recent years several data and survey results suggest that one person households are gradually in the increasing trend. The study aimed at investigating the real state of one person households in Korea and next analyzing the proportional distribution of one person households by a few socioeconomic characteristics, thus providing basic for eatablishing far-singhted population and social welfare policy in the future. Korea has experienced high growth rate of economy through government-led development plans starting from the 1960s. During the past three decades, Korea has shifted from the agricultural state to the industrialized one. In compliance with the economic growth, urbanization and industrialization have brought about rural-to-urban migration and a great bulk of young population migrated to urban areas, who are seeking for educational and job opportunities. Korean society has also been under drastic change in every aspect of life involving norms, tradition, and attitude, etc. Therefore, in spite of the prejudice on 'living alone' still remaining, young people gradually leave parents and home, and further form nontraditional households in urban areas. Current increase in the number of one person households is partly attributable to the increase in high female educational attainment and female participation in economic activities. As the industrial structure in Korea changes from primary into secondary and tertiary industries, job opportunities for service/sales and manufacturing are opened to young female labor force in the process of industrialization. Contrary to the formation of one person households by young people, the aged single households are composed when children in family leave one by one because of marriage, education, employment. In particular, a higher proportion of aged female single households occur in rural areas due to the mortality difference by sex. Based on the data released form the 1990 Population and Housing Census and National Fertility and Family Health Survey in 1985 and 1991, the study tried to examine the state of one person households in Korea. According to Census data, the number of one person households increased to 1, 021, 000 in 1990, comprising 9.0 percent of total households. And the survey reveal that among total 11, 540 households, 8.0 percent, 923 households, are composed of one person households. Generally, the proportion of female single households is greater than that of male ones, and a big proportion of one person households is concentrated in the 25-34 age bracket in urban areas and 65 years and more in rural areas. It is shown than one person householders in urban areas have higher educational attainment with 59.2 percent high schooling and over in 1991, Job seeking proved to be the main reason for leaving home and forming one person households. The number of young female single households with higher education and economic self-reliance are found nil and the study did not allow to analyze the causal realtionship between female education and employment and one person household formation. However more research and deep analysis on the causal facors on one person household formation using statistical method are believed to be necessary.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to derive their cognitive, psychological, and behavioral characteristics through a fusion study that analyzed the quantified results of post-homeless people participating in the housing support project after the electroencephalogram test. Participants in this study are 6 people who have lived in temporary homeless facilities or homeless living facilities and have expressed their intention to participate in the housing support project. Electroencephalogram measurements were performed using Brainmaster equipment according to the International 10-20 Law. As a result of the analysis, the study participants showed high levels of Theta wave, Beta wave, and High Beta wave, which show the peculiarity of the emotional aspect, which is a result of showing emotional characteristics such as anger, anxiety, and insomnia in the emotional aspect. Therefore, it is suggested that they provide stress management, counseling, and physical health management services in order to maintain a stable residential life in the community in the future. The results of this study presented a quantitative basis for the cognitive, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of homeless people, and suggests a support system necessary for them to maintain self-reliance in communities in the future.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.39-56
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• 2024

This study addressed housing issues among various social problems of youth. With a focus on residential independence, this study analyzed the factors that lead youth to achieve residential independence. This study drew on nationwide data from the 'Youth Life Survey (2022)' with a sample size of 12,578. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed, with the dependent variable being residential independence. Key factors were as follows. The probability of residential independence was higher for men than women. Residential independence occurred mainly in non-metropolitan areas compared to metropolitan areas. Findings revealed that greater age, income, and assets facilitate achieving residential independence. In addition, public transport and cultural facilities were important for their residential independence, and it was found that the previous experience of residential independence had a positive effect. Policy implications derived from the findings are as follows. It is required to consider the heterogeneity and diversity of youth rather than implementing unitary policies. To ensure continuity and sustainability of self-reliance, long-term support programs are needed rather than temporary support. Moreover, it is required to offer public support comprehensively, instead of youth relying on support from personal networks, including their parents. An inclusive housing policy should be established to support youth for their residential independence in the future.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.4
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• pp.145-180
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• 2006

In Korea, nation and nationalism are undeniable justice, absolute virtue and moreover system of desire. From the late Chosun Dynasty when the Korean Peninsula had to survive from the critical situation of being the arena of competition, and through the colonial period under Japanese imperialism, nationalism became stronger as a logic of survival. The policy of seclusion under closed and exclusive nationalism that didn't recognize the world situation well enough, eventually gave more pain to the nation. Nationalism in colonial Korea which was as reformed nationalism and on the other hand, as intransigent, resisting nationalism. Since the purpose of this writing is not for clarifying the argument raised on Korean nationalism, there is no use mentioning how it went with the change of time. But we have to focus on the fact that the word 'nation' which appeared under the influence of popular revolution and capitalism meaning 'a group of people', was translated and understood as a racial concept for strengthening the unity of 'single-race nation with five thousand years' history. First of all, there is nationalism used to fortify the system. 'The Charter of National Education' and 'The Pledge of Allegiance' were ornaments to intensify the ruling ideology and dictatorship to militarize entire South Korea for 'settling Korean democracy' professed nationalism. Also, another ruling ideology armed with 'self-reliance' put North Korea into the state of hypnosis called nationalism. Nationalism, claiming 'nation' outwardly, but in reality, being an illuminating, instructing ideology isolating each other was indeed a body with two faces. This made 'nation' in Korea mysterious and objective through work such as. The statue commemorating patriotic forefathers' and picture of national records' in South Korea art. Nationalism used to strengthening the system encountered the magical 'single-race' and made 'ghost' being an extreme exclusion to other nations. We can find pedigreed pureness not allowing any mixed breeds from the attitude accepting western art -via Japan or directly- and making it vague by using the word Korean and Asia. There's nationalism as a resistant ideology to solidify the system on the other side. It came out as a way of survival among the Great Power and grew with the task of national liberation to became as a powerful force facing against the dictatorship dominating South Korea after the liberation. This discussion of nationalism as a resistance ideology was active in 1980s. In 1980, democracy movement against the dictatorship of 5th Republic originated from military power which came out suppressing the democratic movement in Gwangju, spread out from the intellects and the students to the labors, farmers and the civilians. It is well known that the 'Nation-People(Minjoong)'s Art Movement could come out under this social condition. Our attitude toward nationalism is still dual in this opening part of 21st century. On one hand, they are opposing to the ultra-nationalism but are not able to separate it from nationalism, and on the other, they have much confusion using it. In fact, in a single-race nation like Korea, the situation of being nationalism and jus sanguinis together can cause dual nationalism. Though nationalism is included in the globalization order, it is evidence that it's effective in Korea where there are still modern fetters like division and separation. In particular, in the world where Japan makes East Asia Coalition but exposed in front of nationalism, and China not being free from Sinocentrism, and American nationalism taking the world order, and Russia fortifying nationalism suppressing the minority race after the dissolution of socialism, Korean nationalism is at the point to find an alternative plan superior to the ruling and resisting ideology.