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The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate the changes in consumer competencies according to the types of shopping value, (2) to reveal the effects of shopping value on consumer competencies. The subjects of this study were 266 university students dwelling in Seoul. A questionnaire was used as the survey method. The data was analyzed by Cronbach’s alpha, frequencies, percentile, mean, factor analysis, K-mean cluster analysis, t-test, ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple range tests, multiple linear regressions. Computations were conducted by SPSS WIN 12.0. The study produced the following results. First, college students can be categorized into 3 shopping values by K-means Cluster analysis of 13 items: the hedonic shopper (shopping value), the utilitarian shopper (shopping value) and the balanced shopper (shopping value). Second, there were significant differences in grades, satisfaction with life and shopping value. That is, grade 3and utilitarian shopping value group had a higher level of consumer competency. Third, the variable that influenced consumer competency was the utilitarian shopping value, influencing consumer attitude and consumer skill. These results imply that consumers should be constantly educated and that there needs to be a campaign to promote utilitarian shopping value.

The purpose of this study is to review previous domestic and foreign studies and to investigate personal work-life harmonization through theoretical research on family- friendly management using a dual agenda approach. The authors briefly identified trends and critically reviewed domestic researches on family-friendly management and foreign studies of scholars that overcame the limitations of domestic studies to present a foundation for work-life harmonization through a dual agenda approach. As a result, the existing family-friendly management was found to be compatible with work and family but was not effective in developing personal careers. The workers who actively accepted family-friendly management as part of their work-life balance were mostly female laborers who were employed part-time, had lower academic education, earned lower wages and, in general, were non-professional workers without specific skills or career aspirations. The remainder of the workers, full-time male employees, with higher education and with professional knowledge and skills, inevitably worked longer, more labor-intensive hours, due to the advent of the dual agenda approach. A new work-life harmonization program is urgently needed not only for family-friendliness but also for healthy organizations, individual career development and personal well- being.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the local government of multicultural family policy. For this study, researchers first compared Canada, Australia and Japan and, second, analyzed the foreign policy plan data in Korea. The findings were as follows: First, Gyunggi province had many plans for foreign laborers and Gangwon, Kyungbuk and Jeonnam provinces had many plans for multicultural family wives. Second, many local governments had few economic independence programs for multicultural family wives, except Gangwon and Kyungbuk provinces. Third, many local governments had no school or study programs for children of multicultural families, except Gangwon, Kyungbuk and Chungnam provinces. Fourth, Canada and Australia had many sources of public information and many educational opportunities for people to gain understanding but local Korean governments had few of these programs. Finally, Canada and Australia had many international programs for immigrants to maintenance their culture but local Korean governments have none of these programs.

This study tried to develop the theoretical backgrounds, explaining consumers energy consumption behavior and analyzed its effects. In other words, this study investigated the factors influencing the amount of electronic energy consumption. In this study, we used 678 questionnaires which were selected a quota sampling by living area who were above 20 years old and married. Summary of results of this study follows. First, attitude for energy saving was positively related with female, high school graduated large size of family members, elderly, and middle-class consumers. In addition, consumers’ search for energy saving were appeared passively in young consumers under 30 years old, and the family with the highest household income. Consumers’ purchasing energy-efficient products was presented in large size of family members, and young consumers. Second, consumers’ environmental oriented behavior, action-directed behavior, health- seeking behavior were significantly related with energy saving behavior, and active information search for energy saving, but not with purchasing energy-efficient products and consuming behavior of electrical energy. Third, the quantity of electric energy consumption was affected by the size of family members, the living size of house related with high energy demand, the attitude for energy saving, and searching information for energy-saving.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the home-health-care workers licensing education course in Seoul, Korea. Based on the previous research, a conceptual model was suggested explaining the dynamics of perceived educational service quality (SERVQUAL), educational satisfaction and the occupational readiness. The data set for this study drawn from the 297 self-administered surveys were analyzed with the suggested conceptual model by utilizing AMOS program. The measurement models and conceptual model fit well with the collected data set. As results of this study, 5 domains of SERVQUAL were produced including accountability, trustiness, responsiveness, sympathy, and assurance. The results of structural modeling with latent variables confirmed that SERVQUAL were influenced perceived educational satisfaction as well as occupational readiness. Among the SERVQUAL domains, accountability, trustiness, responsiveness, and assurance had significant impacts on the educational satisfaction while accountability, trustiness and responsiveness had significant direct effects on the occupational readiness. The trustiness had significant indirect effects on the occupational readiness via the educational satisfaction. Hence, the educational satisfaction had the significant impacts on the occupational readiness. Based on the findings of this study, we suggest to intense the educational program or curricular focusing on the SERVQUAL elements. Those changes will enhance self-confidence among the prospective home-health-care workers as well as public trustiness on the national long-term care program.

This study will attempt to show how marriage ceremonies in Korea have reflected marriage custom influences from science and industrialization the study focuses on changes in traditional features. As a result of science and industrialization, the social patterns of Korean marriages have considerably changed, due to the impact of western values. There are three stages of the Korean marriage ceremony: before the ceremony (Sun-rye), the ceremony (Bon-rye) and after the ceremony (Hu-rye). The research examined how these marriage customs were influenced by science and industrialization. The instruments were 750 questionnaires, analyzed through data processing and personal interviews with 25 married women. The data were analyzed by making use of the SPSS program using frequency analysis and χ²-test. The results suggested that, since 1960, Korean marriage ceremonies mainly conformed to the marriage customs of traditional society. Since 1970, traditional customs of the before the ceremony (Sun-rye) process have been, in large part, eliminated. The ceremony (Bon-rye) process has been changed to western style, and the after the ceremony (Hu-rye) process has been altered to some degree.

The present study aims to investigate cultural similarities and differences that influence interracial couples (between Korean men and Vietnamese women) when adapting to Korean family culture in terms of interculturalism. The interviewees consisted of three generations. This study used in-depth interviews. Data was collected from January to August 2008. 15 families (45 people) were used for analysis. Results were as follows: (1) the patriarchal culture of the two nations had a positive influence on the adaptation of members during family interactions(2) the culture of filial piety is a value system that both nations believe is important. However, different rituals had a negative influence on the practice of filial piety (3) the community-oriented culture is regarded as important in the two nations. However, Vietnamese wives cannot lead a free community life because Koreans see them in negative terms (4) the Vietnamese traditional wedding custom called “NopJjeOh”had a negative influence on the adaptation to the Korean family culture (5) the preference for sons in Vietnam is not as high as in Korea. This difference had a negative influence on adaptation (6) clear differences between the daily lives of the two nations had a negative influence on adaptation to Korean family culture. In conclusion, Korea and Vietnam have many similarities in culture, which enable Vietnamese wives to adapt to Korean culture more easily than other foreign wives. If various programs are developed to promote the mutual understanding between both cultures based on these research findings, it would further contribute toward social integration in Korea.

Considering recent changes in care policies for children and the elderly, this study assumed that the familialistic characteristics of the welfare state in Korea might differ from those of the past. In order to explore the direction of change in familialism, this study focused on care policies for children under six and for the elderly who are sixty-five and over. Applying Leitner’s four types of familialism‒implicit familialism, explicit familialism, optional familialism, and de-familialism‒to the study, it analyzed both familialization care policies, such as paid parental leave, homecare allowance, tax credit, and de-familialization care policies, including service provision and subsidies. The results of the study showed that care policy for children under 6 displayed the characteristics of “optional familialism,” while care policy for the elderly reflected “de-familialism.”

The purpose of this study is to analyze the trend of research system and contents of thesis which was published with a theme of child tea ceremony education. Under this purpose we have searched the thesis related to the child tea ceremony education which was in the data base of the National Assembly Library, the National Library of Korea, Korea Education & Research Information Service and we have collected total of 22 analyzing subject data. The major results of this study are as followings: First, after analyzing the research system, the release year of child tea ceremony education study which was published from year 2000 to 2009 are shown as followings, 1 unit in year 2000, 2 units in year 2001, 2002 & 2003, 4 units in year 2004, 5 units in year 2005, 2 units in year 2006, 1 unit in year 2007, 2 units in year 2008, 1 unit in year 2009. The publishing type were 14 units of master’s degree thesis, 6 units of academic journal, 2 units of doctor’s degree thesis. The academic area of researchers are 8 units of propriety and tea culture, 5 units of early childhood education, 5 units of child welfare, 2 units of family culture and consumer, 1 each unit of counseling psychology and korean culture. As per the research method there were 15 units of experimental study, 6 units of reference research, and 1 unit of thesis which adopts both interview and case study. Second, as a result of analyzing the research contents, the goal of child tea ceremony education was shown to be a holistic child growth and development, a formation of basic living habit, a development of pride on traditional culture and an establishment of national identity. The contents of child tea ceremony education has been classified into 57 items. The activity of child tea ceremony education has been classified into 34 items. The vitalizations of child tea ceremony education is shown to be a education for parents and teachers, a development of systematic educational program, durability of child tea ceremony education, and a verification of effectiveness of child tea ceremony education.

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of role ambiguity on the relationship between self-efficacy and job satisfaction of visiting supervisors for multicultural families. The subjects were 243 visiting supervisors for multicultural families. The data were analyzed with SPSS Win 15.0 using Cronbach's α, hierarchical multiple regression and path analysis. The findings showed that both self-efficacy and role ambiguity exerted a significant effect on the job satisfaction of visiting supervisors for multicultural families. Further, it is important to note that the effect of self-efficacy on job satisfaction was mediated by role ambiguity. The study discussed implications in terms of job satisfaction of visiting supervisors for multicultural families.