• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.89-105
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• 2009

A family resilience approach aims to identify and fortify key interactional processes that enable families to withstand and rebound from disruptive life challenges. Walsh(1998) described family belief systems, organizational patterns, and communication processes as the three main keys of family resilience. The purpose of this study was to identify the three key factors of family resilience in case of divorced female single-parent families in Korea. The study participants were seven divorced mothers who were living in the institutional facility for female single-parent families. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim for analysis. The study findings were as follows. First, the participants showed positive thinking rather than fear about the adversity induced by the divorce. They also showed the senses of competence, control, and self-esteem. However, the senses of transcendence and spirituality were barely evident. Second, emotional and economic supports from parents, brothers and sisters, and community networks (i.e., mother-child protection institution, healthy family support center) enhanced the family resilience of the participants. Third, the participants showed clear communication, open emotional expression, and shared decision making. This study suggests that more counseling services and parent education be provided by healthy family support center and institutional facilities as important family resilience factors for divorced female single-parent families who are below the poverty line.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.603-612
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• 2013

With the increase of single-parent families in the Korean society, the perception of the function and structure of the family is changing. Thus, a public transition toward embracing single-parent families as another form of family is necessary. This study focuses on the families of divorced female single-parents using Walsh's family resilience framework with a strengths-based perspective. It aims to provide the basic data necessary for deducing policy-related and practical ways of supporting the families and for developing programs that help divorced female single-parent families maintain and reinforce resilience. Qualitative analysis was used as the research method. A preceding literature review was also carried out to collect data. The major findings of this study include the following: First, it was found that the average age of divorce is around 30-40, with children of school age. The mothers' level of education was relatively high, ranging from high school graduates to graduate school students. On Rothwell and Cohen's happiness scale, their objective level of happiness was higher (74.1) than that of the average Korean (64). Second, it was found they were very careful to avoid violence in everyday life as an after-effect of domestic violence, which was the major cause of their divorce. Third, their positive and optimistic attitudes about life even in adversity can be interpreted as Walsh's belief systems taking a more important role among other characteristics of family resilience.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.181-191
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine the social support network for divorced single mother families. The data were gathered through in-depth interviews with seven divorced single mothers who had at least one school-age child. Qualitative analysis of data showed that divorced single mothers evaluated themselves based on other people's perception. There were mainly three different kinds of self-images, which were “a competent divorced woman,” “a bad child to my parents,” and “a socially weak person.” We also found that there were two factors that influenced the everyday lives of single mothers: all of them .;offered hardships in living as a divorced woman with children, and they also had to deal with the weakened solidarity with family of origin, relatives, and neighbors. Single mothers shared common problems yet their lifestyles and adjustment strategies were diverse. Therefore, diverse social welfare policies for education and counseling for single mothers are urgently needed to support and empower divorced single mothers.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.43 no.10 s.212
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• pp.91-102
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• 2005

This study investigated differences in the level of delinquent behaviors depending on family structures among adolescents. The subjects were 552 middle and high school students living in Seoul and Incheon, of whom 247 were being raised by single-parents and 305 by non-divorced parents. All respondents answered by self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed by t-test, Scheffe test, ANOVA and two-way ANOVA. The major findings were as follows. First, the level of adolescents' delinquent behaviors differed by sex and age. High school students tended to be more engaged in violence and status delinquent behaviors than middle school students. Male students were more likely to engage in social, sex and properly delinquent behaviors than female students. Second, there were differences in the level of delinquent behaviors depending on family structures among the adolescents. Mostly, adolescents with non-divorced parents were less delinquent than those with a single parent. Third, among the adolescents from a divorced family, then whose parents had been divorced for 1-2 years had the highest score in sex and property delinquent behaviors.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.755-762
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• 2000

female smoking especially in the population of teenage girls is regarded as an important health problem as the young female smokers are increasing sharply. We surveyed 895 teenage girls(15-19 years of age) living in a rural community in Korea for their cigarette smoking habits and the relationship between smoking status of subjects demographic variables and view on other's smoking. Of the subjects 11.6% stated that they were currently smoking and 67.3% of current smokers began smoking regularly sometimes before high school. The average smoking period of current smokers waas 20.6$\pm$1.5 mounts and they smoked 7.5 cigarettes/day on an average. Their main reason for starting to smoke was curiosity. The parents attitude for their offspring was more undemocratic in smokers. Smokers had lower academic sachievement and they had the family system such as single parent more undemocratic in smokers. Smokers had lower academic achievement and they had the family sysstem such as single parent family or divorced parent family more often than did non-smokers. Smoking status of subjects was positively related to that of their parents siblings and friends respectively. Smokers accepted others' smoking more positively than did non-smokers. Above results show that cigarette smoking is prevalent among teenage girls living in a rural community and smoking of subjects are affected by demographic variables and their view on others' smoking. Therefore the prevention the prevention programs aimed at adolescent smoking should be started before middle school and they should be included all influencing environmental factors such as family school and mass media.