Earticle

This study analyzes the balance between work and family in married, working men and investigates their need to create this balance. Data from 253 married men was collected and analyzed. The index for the questionnaire was developed using the scale from the Second National Survey of Korean Families and related research. The results show that married, working men are slightly better at balancing their work and family lives than average. Furthermore, the effects of job-related variables were higher than the effects of other social-demographic variables. Job flexibility was the major variable that determined the balance between work and family. The highest need to balance between work and family was monetary support for caring and educating children. This paper concludes that in order to improve the work-family balance, the current working culture has to be changed, and various policies and strategies that encourage a family-friendly working culture must be implemented.

Many students who attend university are worried about their future employment and academic achievement. Self-leadership is the ability to deal wisely with employment matters and to recognize the employment strategies of students who display self-leadership qualities. For this purpose, 320 questionnaires were distributed to students attending universities in Seoul. The 304 collected questionnaires were used as data for the final analysis. First, the university students’ average self-leadership rate was 3.73, and their average employment rate was 3.24. In terms of self-leadership by subordinate domains, the most common strategy was to introduce “natural compensation activities,” and the least common strategy was to focus on “inner compensation.” For the employment strategy, ”academic credit” was the best managed, and ”active behavior” was the least well managed. Second, in terms of the differences in self-leadership due to social demographic variables, the self-leadership levels showed significant differences, according to their credits in general. Furthermore, they showed significant differences depending on gender and the leadership experience among the subordinate variables. Moreover, the university students' employment strategies showed significant differences according to gender, leadership experience and leadership education. Third, in terms of the difference between self-leadership and employment strategies due to psychological variables, self-efficacy and university-life satisfaction levels made significant differences in terms of self-leadership. Fourth, the group with high self-leadership levels also had highly developed employment strategies, compared to the group with low self-leadership levels. Fifth, after analyzing the social demographic variables, the psychological variables and the influence of self-leadership, it appears that the explanation level increased at each step. This study demonstrates that experiencing many opportunities that promote self-leadership during university causes students to worry about their future careers and prohibits them from developing into independent, responsible adults who can accomplish their goals.

This study uncovers the relationships between mental health, couple relationships and marital happiness. The sample included 180 inter-married Korean men. The data were analyzed by means of frequency, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS. Mental health is positively correlated with marital conflict, but is negatively correlated with efficient communication and marital happiness. Furthermore, marital conflict is negatively correlated with communication and marital happiness. Second, mental health has a positive influence on marital conflict and a negative influence on marital happiness. Depression and social mal-adaptation have a negative effect on communication and marital happiness. Marital conflict does not have a mediating effect on mental health and marital happiness. Third, depression and social mal-adaptation have a negative influence on communication and marital happiness. Communication has a mediating effect on mental health and marital happiness. In conclusion, to reduce marital conflict, it is important to intervene in inter-married Korean men's marital happiness through special education programs and counseling.

This study examines the relationship between intergenerational financial resource transfers and preparation for later life among the middle-aged. The study sample consists of 1536 middle-aged individuals with at least one living parent and one married child. The level of preparation for later life is dependent upon the level of household economic status. The statistically significant variables predicting the level of preparation for later life include age, education, subjective health status, household income and household assets. Moreover, intergenerational resource transfers are statistically significant factors that explain the level of preparation for later life. The effect of financial transfers from middle-aged parents to their adult children on the level of preparation for later life is the most significant financial transfer variable.

The purpose of this study was to develop a Body & Mind Integration Program that combines yoga and tea meditation, and to prove the fact that it can enhance the happiness for middle-aged housewives. In order to do that, it was devised for a one-group pretest-posttest design and implemented a pretest, a treatment(that was a 12-session program), and a posttest. The results of the 16 middle-aged housewives were used to prove the effect of this program. The main results of this study are as follows: First, physical self-concept(t=-4.609, p<.001), mindful attention awareness(t=-2.804, p<.05) and tea life practices(t=-4.748, p<.001) of the middle-aged housewives have been improved after the implementation of Body & Mind Integration Program. Secondly, the Body & Mind Integration Program has provided the chance for the middle-aged housewives to newly recognize their physical and psychological ability so that they can appreciate their lives more happily and realized their inner strength. In the final analysis, it is the task for all of us to develop and supply the kind of program which helps the middle-aged housewives not only to keep the efforts for their healthy body & mind, but also to get rid of the negative feelings and tensions which happen from personal relationships so that they can find happiness in their lives continuously.

This study examines whether reciprocity exists in intergenerational resource transfers from middle-aged children to elderly parents. Analyzing data from a sample of 1123 middle-aged adults, this study highlights the importance of reciprocity in the transfer of resources between middle-aged adults and their elderly parents. The possibility of an inheritance shows a very strong effect on care-giving to elderly parents. Furthermore, past financial transfers from parents to middle-aged children correlates strongly with financial transfers from middle-aged children to their elderly parents.

This study, based on a health belief model, examines how baby boomers perceive health and how they are financially preparing for future medical expenses. In addition, the study analyzes which factors influence baby boomers’ preparation behaviors for future medical expenses and their perceived sufficiency of the preparation for medical expenses. Through such activities, this study examines baby boomers’ current preparation status for future medical expenses, and based on this outcome, will turn the attention of individuals and society toward becoming more concerned with health and increasing health expectancy. For this study, an online survey was conducted targeted at men and women who were born between 1955 and 1963 and live nationwide, and its resultant data were collected. After conducting a 15-day survey in November 2011, a total of 418 questionnaire responses were used for the final analysis. The major findings of this study and their implications are as follows: First, baby boomers’ health beliefs and their perceptions of health identified by subjective health conditions were very positive. Second, while there were some partial differences in the influencing factors, health beliefs and perceived health influenced the sufficiency of future medical expenses in the three groups, which were segmented according to how they prepare for future medical expenses—insurance-based, pension-based, and insufficiently prepared groups. Third, the baby boomers selected the national health insurance as the primary means of preparing for post-retirement medical expenses, and backed it up with private health insurance or the national pension. In addition, when baby boomers’ perceived sufficiency of future medical expenses were examined, 57.6% of the respondents expressed that their old-age medical expenses were not sufficient. Fourth, in terms of baby boomers’ preparation behaviors for future medical expenses, it was revealed that as one recognizes old-age health more seriously, he/she has a higher chance of using insurance and lower chance of using a pension to prepare for medical expenses. Fifth, regarding baby boomers’ sufficiency of preparations for future medical expenses, economic factors such as total assets, the sufficiency of retirement assets, and the number of insurance policies, as well as health perceptions, including health beliefs and subjective health conditions, were important influencing factors.

The purpose of this study is to understand the process of “standing alone” in divorced single fathers on the basis of qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with 10 divorced single fathers. Data were analyzed on the basis of grounded theory analysis in open coding, and 154 concepts, 39 sub-categories, and 14 categories were derived. According to the results of this study, the process phenomenon of divorced single fathers' standing alone was “the restraint and chaos of pain.” This study could identify the consecutive process of four identified stages: marriage life's rupture, pain and chaos, deliberation and decision, and role adaption. In selective coding, the core category was “to pass through the restraint of pain and embrace children and stand alone.” There were three types of standing alone: maintaining barely, enduring hopefully, and living initiatively. This study showed the necessity of social support and the basic data by type analysis through the process of standing alone. This study provided substantive knowledge generated through the voices of the persons concerned.

Studies on time-use have generally concentrated on the amount of time used by each member of a household in Korea. The quality of family relationships could be associated with the amount and types of interactions between family members. This study examined the time that adults spend with their family members on various activities. The purpose of this study is to explore a typology of family time and investigate the characteristics of each type. The data source was the 2009 Time-Use Survey conducted by the Korean National Statistics Office. The people involved in each activity were surveyed for the first time in the 2009 survey in Korea. The data from this study included 10,902 diaries that were filled on weekdays by married adults from ages 20 to 59 years. Data from rural households were excluded. Time use was divided into three categories: family meals, household work and family leisure time. These activities were analyzed using t-test, chi-square analysis and cluster analysis. Family time was classified into four types based on three categories. The four types were named “leisure sharing,” “household work sharing,” “overall sharing” and “non-sharing.” The most common type was non-sharing. The characteristics of each type depended on gender and paid work time. Based on these results, family and labor policies should be developed to increase the work-life balance. Policies that focus on men over 40 years are especially recommended.

Pumasi and Cooperative Child Care Sharing have had positive results among participants and show possibilities of spreading out to the community in general. However, performance was not proved where it is clarified, and the experience of 23 local Healthy Family Support Centers have that ran the demonstration project were unable to be collected. It is the point of time when the initial backing up is important but the centers do not have the systematic support. Therefore, this research presents an effective management plan through qualitative research involving Pumasi participants and person in charge. The operation strategies by the stage of the project were as follows: First, in the beginning stage, the person in charge establishes the target and vision of the project. Second, when comprising the Pumasi team, it was necessary to consider their characteristics according to the team organization subjects. Third, it is necessary to extend the turn-off time and provide many programs so that the various populations can participate. Fourth, in the advertising step, word of mouth and individual contact needs to be utilized. Fifth, in a medium or small city or an urban-rural complex area, the person in charge should support the participants' Pumasi activities. Sixth, various programs such as a passive and active parent education program and Pumasi education program for the leader needs to be provided for the activation of Pumasi activities. Lastly, a cooperative child care sharing location needs to be constructed by the duality system of the base space and outer space. In this location, the inside play space for the children is essential.