• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2005

The objectives of this study were: a) to analyze the upbringing policy for woman farmers in Korea, b) to find out the needs for the policy related to women's roles in decision making of farming activities, and c) to promote the programs in agricultural system for supporting rural women according to their role types and needs. This study was based on a literature review and discussions with the panel of experts witness and professionals including rural women. The major findings and conclusions from this study were as follows: 1 ) First of all, the policy for upbringing woman farmers had been improved. however, policy measures were still inadequate and were plenty of room for development. 2) Government policies were not focussed directly to meet the actual needs of rural women according to their various roles. 3) More government efforts should be enhanced to modify the policy and social system for rural women, and should be organized into the practical programs after careful considerations on the status of woman farmers according to their role types. 4) The five-year upbringing plan for woman farmers should be expanded to include strengthening economic power, widening woman farmers' influence. development of intellectual capacity and strengthening of self-enlightenment better health care and welfare services. and providing equal opportunities for women farmers.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.353-363
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• 2008

Recently some Korean feminists have reported the family management agreement (FMA) can contribute to enhance the women farmers' legal status and to improve their farm management. The FMA is a formal document written each rights and responsibilities on the farm management, income allocation, and labor condition such as working time and work-off days agreed among family members. Since 2004, 161 farmer couples have signed and practiced the FMA after two-day workshop scheduled for the agreement. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of FMA on the increase of participation in (am management among women farmers. Data were collected from 204 FMA couples through the structured questionnaires. Also interview and participating observation were carried out. Paired t-test were conducted using SPSS 12.0 for Windows program. Major findings were as follows. Women farmers' participation in decision making of farming activities has significantly increased after than before the FMA. However, husbands' participation in decision making is higher than women farmers even after the FMA. After the FMA, labor compensation, regularly or irregularly, for women farmers has increased to 53.3%, 35.3% higher than 18% of the previous study and women farmers' ownership of their farm assets has increased to 48.1% from 29.1%. Also, there is a tendency women farmers' role as a representative of their farm has increased. In conclusion the FMA makes women farmers participate more in farm management as decision maker, income beneficiary, farm asset owner, and farm representative, which encourage them to get the legal status as a farmer and to control their farm management risk. It is suggested that the FMA be selected as a program in order to strengthen the agricultural competitiveness.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 2005

The objectives of this study were: a) to classify rural women's roles according to apicultural activity, and b) to find out the needs for education system related to women's roles in agricultural technology and the participation in decision making of farming activities, and c) to put forward the programs in agricultural educational system for supporting rural women according to their role types. This study was based on a literature review, empirical analysis including women in rural Korea. Based on the empirical findings, the following suggestions could be of offered for helping the rural women according to the types of their roles. 1) Family cultural reform, farming helper system, relief of housework allotment, supporting educational expenses, equal opportunity and easier places for participations should be strengthened in education programs of women farmers in Korea. 2) Government should provide diverse incentive programs, appropriate information and educational supports for women farmers' agricultural education including equipment and facilities for easy farm management. 3) Automation and mechanization of farm works, computer education, eco-friendly agricultural production skills, family consciousness and group action, importance and the future prospects of agriculture and farming, leadership role should be strengthened in agricultural education programs for rural women.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.73-85
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the Marital Equality Education Program for women farmers and their husband. Based on the empirical research result of 980 women farmers as basic study for developing this program, marital equality theory, system theory, strong family perspective, stress coping theory, anger control theory, modified Couple Communication Program, marriage enrichment methods, 7 session program was developed. The contents of every session were Reviewing Marriage Relationships, Coping Role Stress, Marital Equality, Self Expression & Speaking, Understanding Spouse & Listening, Anger Control& Resolving Conflict, and Enhancing Marital Relations. The effectiveness of this program was evaluated by pretest, post test, and follow-up 1 month later through 35 rural couples(women farmers and their husband) and it was analyzed by paired t-test and qualitative evaluation was also investigated. The major results were as follows : This program was effective in improving their self-esteem, marital satisfaction, coping role stress & conflicts, and husband's egalitarian role attitude & practice. The results suggested the program had also Positive impacts on the marital equality and relationships. Future research and practical implications were added.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.219-230
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• 2005

The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate level of satisfaction of the farm helper system which has been executed by Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry from the year 2000 as one of the welfare policies for assisting production activities of woman farmers. and 2) to suggest some measures for improving farm helper system. The data were collected from selected 729 women farmers who utilized the farm helper system. The major findings and suggestions from this study were as follows: 1) Women farmers responded that they had positive attitudes toward utilizing farm helper system by answering 'obtaining mental stability'(34.6%). 'reducing a burden of child birth'(29.2%), 'continuing to work on farm activities'(24.4%) and 'trust in national policies'(10.7%). 2) In addition, women farmers wanted to use the helpers for two months, before and after having a child birth. 3) They suggested that farm helpers system should be extended to other areas such as farming(21.5%), nursing(18.6%), and child-caring(16.1%).

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.359-369
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• 2004

The objectives of this study were: a) to classify the rural women's roles according to degree of participation in farming and decision making, b) to find out the needs for support policy considering the role types, and c) to put forward the programs for supporting rural women according to their role types. This study was based on a literature review, empirical analysis, and opinions from a panel of experts and professionals including rural women in Korea. Based on the findings from this study, the following suggestions should be considered for supporting the rural women according to the types of their roles: 1) Government should enhance the support system for rural women in terms of policy and social system. Careful considerations on the status of woman farmers according to their role types should be reflected in the policy and social system. 2) Family cultural reform, farming helper system, reducing the housework burden, supporting educational expenses, and providing more opportunities for closer contact to the community actions and educational programs should be included in the support system. 3) Rural women's participation in various community action and educational programs should be encouraged by providing diverse incentives, appropriate information and educational supports designed to support woman farmers.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.29-43
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to calculate the economic effect of Women-Farmer's Center. Since 2001, The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has run Women-Farmer's Centers in which women-farmers can receive the care for their pre-schooling children, after-school learning service, and city-farm exchange, education, and counseling. In other words, Women Farmer's Center provides not only improvement of ease and quality of life of women-farmer's, but also spreading economic effect to community and country. By calculation based on business plan of 14 centers that run centers, total economic income effects are 2,784 million won, which consist of 1,265 million won for counseling, 146 million won for the care of infants and children, 139 million won after-school learning, 1,020 million won for education, and 214 million won for city-farm exchange program. The Women-Farmer's Center should be managed reasonably with government support so that Women-Farmer's Center will become as a base camp for young women farmers to participate in agriculture and rural community and increase its economic effect for the nation in the future.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.10.1-10.11
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• 2022

Background: Repetitive hand use increases the risk of hand osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to investigate characteristics of and risk factors for hand OA in Korean women farmers. Methods: This cross-sectional study included women farmers resident in Jeollanam-do, Korea. The participants were interviewed, and radiographs were taken of both hands. Radiological hand OA was defined based on the Osteoarthritis Research Society International imaging criteria of joint space narrowing or the presence of osteophytes. The participants were divided into age groups of < 60 and ≥ 60 years. Obesity was defined as body mass index of > 25 kg/m². Annual working time was divided into < 2,000, 2,000-2,999, and ≥ 3,000 hours. Agricultural working type was divided into rice farming and field farming. Robust Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with radiographic hand OA, with adjustment for age, obesity, annual working time, and agricultural classification. Results: A total of 310 participants with a mean age of 58.1 ± 7.6 years, were enrolled. The prevalence of radiologically confirmed OA was 49.0%, with an OA prevalence of 39.4% the interphalangeal joint in the thumb (IP1). The prevalence of OA was higher in the distal interphalangeal joint than in the proximal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal, and carpometacarpal joints. The prevalence of OA varied by age, annual working time, and agriculture type. Conclusions: Korean women farmers have a high prevalence of OA, particularly in the IP1 joints. OA is associated with age, working hours, and agriculture type.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.431-442
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• 2008

This study was to research the characteristics of the somatotype of Korean farmers. 836 Korean farmers(Male: 361 persons, Female: 475 persons) volunteered for this study. They volunteered from 9 different area such as Kumi, Damyang, Iksan, Injae, Chungju, Choongju, Haman, Whasung, and Whasoon. The reusults were as follows: 1. The subcutaneous body fat thickness were decreased as they aged(p<.05). 2. The thicker the subcutaneous body fat thickness of Korean farmer, the wider the circumference size by the Korean famer's physical parts(p<.05-p<.001). 3. There were no significant differences in the circumference size such as upper arm, chest, bust, waist, umbilical waist, hip, and calf between Korean farmers and Korean standard size. 4. Korean women farmer showed significantly differences in the upper arm circumference(p<.01), the chest circumference(p<.01), the bust circumference(p<.01), the waist circumference(p<.01), the umbilical waist circumference(p<.01), and the calf circumference(p<.05) from Korean women standard by ages. Especially, Korean women farmer had thicker the umbilical waist circumference(the 40's: 103.2mm, the 50's 52.3mm, the 60's 22.3mm, over 70's 22.1mm) than Korean women standard. 5. The 40's women farmer had thicker the upper arm circumference, the chest circumference, the bust circumference, the waist circumference, the umbilical waist circumference, and the calf circumference than Korean women standard. The 70's women farmer had skinner circumferences except the umbilical waist circumference than Korean women standard. 6. Korean farmers showed the crooked back shape, the broad-knee length and also front-bending knee shape as they aged.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.29-42
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• 2004

Women are unlikely to receive an equal education, compared to men, in rural Korean society despite the equality in labor sharing. To address this issue this research aims to (a) analyze the educational needs for farming skills and daily life management in rural communities, and (b) develop a model for educational programs reflecting regional characteristics for the female farmers in order to make them experts in agriculture. A structured questionnaire was administered, using a group interview method, to 366 female farmers from the Jeonnam, Chungbuk, and Gyeonggi provinces with help of agricultural agents. The major components of the questionnaire dealt with individual peculiarities, educational environment, and curriculum and training subjects wanted by the female farmers. Educational program content was classified as daily life management, scientific farming and agricultural management skills to create systematic and effective programs. It was found that the critical factors for developing educational programs for the female farmers are as follows: a. It is necessary to develop a program combining daily life management skills and farming skills to make the female farmers experts in agriculture. b. Statistically significant differences were found in the female farmers' educational program participation and needs based educational level, age, educational expenditure, farm type, farming experience, and farm scale. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a program considering the fore-mentioned socioeconomic status and farming characteristics. c. It is important to establish an educational system for the female farmer to improve their quality of life as a minority group in Korean society. In addition, it is also necessary to develop public relations program to ensure that female farmers recognize the importance and necessity of the education.