• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-97
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• 2009

This study evaluates the poverty experiences of low-income single mothers according to the Capability Approach of Amartya Sen. In this approach, the capability to achieve the basic functionings of life, not income itself, is the criterion of poverty. 26 single mothers were interviewed using focus-group interviews and in-depth interviews. 21 functionings on the existence level, 18 on the relatedness level, and 15 on the growth level were found in the areas of work, health, food consumption, clothing, housing, child rearing, and leisure. The results of this study suggest that low-income single mothers can achieve only some of the existence level functionings with significant help from welfare services. They can scarcely achieve higher level functionings in any of these areas.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.44
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• pp.146-177
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• 2001

One of the difficulties of female-headed families face is economic hardship. Low-income single mothers work long hours, become isolated and feel burdened for dual roles. And many of them don't have relatives to share parenting roles. As a result, children of low-income female-headed families are easy to be neglected and left to form a delinquency-prone group in neighborhood. Traditionally, it has been viewed that children in female-headed families have problems due to the loss of father role. However, study indicates that these children can adjust well if the relationship between mothers and children is consistent and adequate. An Intervention program for low-income female-headed elementary children was developed and delivered in two community social welfare centers. The purpose of the program is to raise self-esteem. Two goals were 1) management of daily living habits and 2) improvement of family relations. Social workers maintained contact with mothers to talk about children's behaviors and to prompt hugging and touching. In addition, workers helped children to form good relationships with peers and school teachers. Children were satisfied with the program. Their family relations were improved statistically significantly after the program(wilcoxon signed rant test z=-2.934 p<.05). However, their self esteem were not improved significantly (wilcoxon signed test z=-1.173 p>.05). Qualitative analysis of each children were also discussed. The implications of the study are the followings: Intervention programs need to be delivered separately for low-grade and high grade elementary children because they have different developmental needs. The program also need to include education on sex and marriage as well as aggression reduction. Society needs to provide more support to single mothers for their personal and parenting needs.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.54
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• pp.295-319
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• 2003

The study starts from the critical thought on why most of female-headed single-parent families are under poverty regardless of their hard working. The study is to explore the lives of low-income single-parent families as working poor and to develop comprehensive policies for them out of poverty and other social vulnerability, using the concept of social exclusion which has been broadly introduced in the field of social science. Specifically, the study aims to analyse the process of social exclusion of low-income single-parent households, by comparing the differential lives in the economic, social, political aspects among male-headed dual-parent household, female-headed single-parent household, and poor female-headed lone-parent household who is under the public poverty line. The study was based on the secondary data analysis. A total of 3182 samples(the first 2508, the second 235, and the third 439) were included. Using SAS 6.12, frequency, chi-square, means, and ANOVA were utilized for the statistical analysis. Results show that single mothers, on the whole, are vulnerable population in terms of employment, housing stability and income. Also, low-income households of single mothers are more negatively affected by the IMF economic crisis and carry more pessimism on their future. In comparison with male-headed households, single mothers have fewer support from social insurance as well as family resources and higher burdens of additional caring need for the old, the disabled, and the chronically ill. These findings identify the reality in which female-headed households with dependent children are exposed to the overall social vulnerability and thus are easily trapped into the social disadvantaged. finally, the study suggests the development of comprehensive policies and counter-measurements for low-income female-headed families to be the primary member in our society.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.99-113
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to explore family life issues of institutionalized single-mother families in Seoul. Using in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires, this study is focused on the needs assessments of social workers and institutionalized single-mothers. Subjects were 4 social workers and 31 institutionalized single-mothers. The results of study showed that institutionalized single-mother families experienced economic, child rearing, emotional problems, negative stigma and the loss of social networks. Future research, theoretical and practical implications are added.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.36
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• pp.133-163
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• 2011

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between social support and child behavior problems and cognitive development in low income female-headed families. Informed by the stress-coping theory, family process model, and theoretical perspectives related to social support, this study estimates both direct and indirect effects of social support on child behavior problems and cognitive development. In particular, we focus on how the relationship between child outcomes and social support is mediated by mothers' parenting stress. The first three waves of longitudinal data from a subsample of 1,315 single and non-cohabiting low-income mothers in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study were utilized in this study. Results suggest that social support is directly associated with child behavior problems and also indirectly associated with child behavior problems mediated by mothers' parenting stress. Social support did not have a direct effect on children's cognitive development but rather had an indirect effect, which was mediated by mothers' parenting stress. The policy and practice implications of these findings are discussed.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.39-61
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• 2013

This paper analyzed the experience of case management experts and single mothers in managing the cases, as the useful approach for family enrichment of a low-income single parent family. The analysis included five case managements and interview with three case management experts for single-parent families. Four of the five cases have been in progress at present. According to the analysis, the main appeals for single-parent families were economy and basic life, physical and mental health, family and social relationships, and child care and education. Furthermore, the interview with the case management experts identified the difficulty in managing single-parent family cases, especially those cases with complicated demands and problems, barriers to expert management, and required support for family enrichment. Finally, this paper analyzed the implementation process of case management for single-parent families in a specific area, meaning that the results of this paper do not represent all single-parent families. Moreover, the analyzed reports were specific to the case management implementation process. Thus, the contents, which were not recorded in the reports, were not fully reflected, and the in-depth analysis of multilateral aspects was restricted.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.1-20
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• 2011

This study investigated the relationships among mother's adult attachment, psychological well-being and affection parenting in low-income class and middle income class The subjects were 339 mothers who reared 3-5 old age child in Daegu and Gyoungbuk Province. The collected data were analyzed by t-test, Pearson's correlation, single and hierachical multiple regression, using SPSS Win 15.0. The results were as follows. (1) Adult attachment fully exerted indirect effects on affection parenting mediated by psychological well-being in low income class of mothers. (2) But adult attachment partly exerted indirect effects on affection parenting mediated by psychological well-being in middle income class of mothers.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.179-192
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the variable factors influencing children's interpersonal relationship skills and analyze the effects of marital perspective-taking ability, managing responses of young children and emotional intelligence on the interpersonal relationship skills of children. The study subjects were young children aged from four to seven attending private kindergartens or public day care centers in Seoul or Kyeongki-do and their mothers. The results are as follows : 1) First, marital perspective-taking abilities were indicated higher on boys than girls, children in a full-day program than those in a half-day program, university graduates or higher degree holders than collage graduates, single-income families than double-income families. In case of managing responses of young children, boys showed high avoidance of offensive disposition and girls showed high emotions dissipation. Also, young children in a full-day program showed non-responses on managing responses but high responses on emotions dissipation, and children of mothers with bachelor's degree or higher education showed support and children from double-income family showed no responses in high. Moreover, emotional intelligence of young children in a full-day program was higher than that of children in a half-day program, interpersonal relationship skills were showed higher on girls than boys, half-day children than full-day ones, children from single-income family than those from double-income family. 2) Meaningful relationships were indicated between these variables; managing responses of young children, emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship skills by partly showing correlations. 3) Children in a half-day program with low in emotions dissipation, non-responses, offensive dispositional managing responses but high on Avoid, emotional intelligence showed high interpersonal relationship skills.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.17-43
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• 2011

With a substantial rise in divorce rates since the mid 1990s, single-parent households are increasing rapidly in Korea. Often it is believed that children in single-mother households suffer the most economically and socially with the marital disruption of the parents. This study hypothesizes that in Korea the socioeconomic status of single-father households may be lower than that of single-mother households mainly because low-income divorced women are not able to form their own households with children. The analysis is based on two sub-samples from the 2% sample of the 2005 Census, one, with children 12 years old or younger and, the other, with divorced mothers of children of the same ages. The findings support the hypothesis that previously-married single fathers show the lowest educational and occupational status among 6 groups of parents: fathers and mothers from two-parent families, fathers and mothers from married but spouse-absent families, and previously-married single fathers and mothers. Divorced mothers'likelihood of living apart from their children has a strong negative association with their educational attainment, with the highest likelihood among women of middle school or lower education and the lowest likelihood among women with college education. Although single mothers comprise a larger percentage of single-parent households, single-father households demonstrate a particular vulnerability with their weak socioeconomic status.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.153-167
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difficulties, conflicts, and communications between female-headed single parents and their children, their child rearing methods and attitude, and the political suggestions for the welfare in those families. The in-depth interviews were conducted for 7 women in Gyonggi-Do and Chungnam-Do on March 3-27, 2003. The interviewees were selected for the mothers whose children were enrolled either elementary schools or middle schools. The contents of interviews were receded to be analyzed by qualitative method. The results were as follows; first, female-headed single parent families were in low economic status with unstable employment condition. Secondly, women in that families were confronted with psychological problems because of their multiple roles and low income. Third, although they had a controlled child rearing method, they used much reinforcement and praise. Thirdly, they were in need of the aids for the basic life such as housings and their children's private institute expenses. Finally, they required the repealing of an existing birthright system.