Earticle

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence financial transfers between married women aged 20-40 and their parents and parents-in-law. In particular, we examine whether there is any reciprocity between parental support for the cost of marriage formation and financial resource transfers from married children to their parents and parents-in-law. Data from the 2009 wave of the Survey of Marriage and Childbirth were analyzed. Among married women who have been married for over 16 years, we find that the probability of them giving financial resources to their parents increases in line with the parental support they received to help their marriage formation cost. Therefore, we confirm that there is reciprocity between parental support for the cost of marriage formation cost and children’s financial support provision for parents.

This study examines the level of resource-saving behavior among children and attempts to identify the variables-among socio-demographic, socio-environmental, and consumer attitude variables-that are most influential on this behavior. The research was conducted in 2010, following a preliminary study, and the data was garnered from 500 questionnaires that were distributed to elementary students in Seoul. The data were analyzed using a number of statistical methods, including frequencies, percentiles, means, standard deviation, Cronbach’s coefficient, ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, using SPSS 18.0. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, the average level of resource-saving behavior of children was found to be 3.6 out of 5, indicating relatively rational behavior. Second, the variables that were found to have the greatest influence on children's resource-saving behavior were lower allowance, higher levels of education on the role of consumption, and more active socialization in childhood. Therefore, these variables should be taken into account when teaching children how to establish resource-saving behavior in their daily living.

The purpose of this study was to assess middle-aged married men and women’s access to family resources (economic and relationship) and to examine how this affects their life satisfaction. Data were drawn from the second wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). The sample consisted of 3,265 middle‐aged married men and women aged between 45 and 60, who had children. The collected data were analyzed using multiple regression, ANOVA and the Schefféctest using SPSS 18.0 The results showed that there was significant difference between men and women in terms of their access to economic and human relationship resources. In addition, the life satisfaction of the middle-aged was found to be significantly predicted by their access to economic and human relationship resources. In particular, the life satisfaction of group (A), who had low economic resource access but high family relationship satisfaction, was found to be higher than that of group (B), who had access to high economic resources but had low family relationship satisfaction This result indicated that there was an interaction effect between family resources. A number of policy implications were made.

This study analyzes the relation between family strength, self-efficacy and career maturity of college students. The results from the study are based on surveys, using a questionnaire method, undertaken by students from the Jeonnam area. Data was analyzed using the SPSS 19.0 program and the statistics used for analysis were t-Test, ANOVA, Correlation and Regression. The study found the following results. First, the family strength of the subjects was above average. Second, family strength, self-efficacy, and career maturity showed differences in terms of gender, major satisfaction, career counselling and major area. Third, the correlation among family strength, self-efficacy, and career maturity were observed positively in almost all sub-categories. Forth, the effects of family strength on self-efficacy and career maturity were significant. Based on these results, it is suggested that family strength should be enhanced to improve self-efficacy and career maturity of college students.

The first local exchange trading system(LETS), established in Comox Valley in Canada, aimed at facilitating the regional economy. However, in Korea, LETS was adopted to encourage mutual aid and promote community spirit among residents. This study examines the feasibility of LETS as a revitalization initiative for Pumasi and suggests a number of policies that can be implemented to support the project. The findings are as follows: First, the LETS credit system was found to complement social capital initiatives among Pumasi participants in the early stages of the Pumasi project. Second, combining LETS and Pumasi initiatives was found to consolidate community spirit and encourage a cooperative way of life among participants due to the fact that LETS enlarges the scope of local residents’ participation and diversifies the services being exchanged. A number of policy suggestions are made for combining LETS with Pumasi. First, the project must define a vision of its long-term purpose and outcomes. Second, local residents should be employed as assistants to facilitate the project. Third, Pumasi participants should ensure that childcare exchange services are of the highest quality by providing an educational program on parenting. Fourth, the project manager's employment conditions and working environments must be guaranteed.

This study analyzed the outcomes of the Healthy Family Support Center's 2011 Pilot Project to support grandparent-grandchild families. This paper applied Frank Fisher's multidimensional evaluation methodology, which includes 4 steps: program verification, situational validation, system vindication and social choice. The major findings and their implications are as follows: the strong points of the pilot project are the characteristics of its services, i.e. sending services, customized services, family-unit services and integrated services. Therefore, it is necessary to train human resources to deliver these services more professionally and to provide comprehensive life-planning. The weak point of the pilot project is its lack of services relating to the self-reliance of the clients. Thus it is necessary to revise the service subsystems to include programs that promote self-support measures.

This study explores how unmarried workers use their leisure time according to the 2009 Korean Time Use Survey. The purposes of this study are: 1) to investigate leisure time as it relates to leisure participation rates and leisure participation time and 2) to analyze the effect of socio-demographic variables on leisure time and leisure participation by unmarried workers. The following is a summary of the major findings. First, leisure participation differed with variations in leisure activities. Unmarried workers participated in media contact, human relations activities, and hobby activities more than other activities. Participation in learning activities was higher on weekdays than on Sunday. Men participated in sports and outdoor activities more than women on Sundays. The participation rate of media contact was the highest, while the participation rate of volunteer activities was the lowest. Second, influencing factors on leisure time included gender, age, monthly income, and gender role attitudes when work time was controlled. For example, unmarried workers with egalitarian attitudes spent less leisure time. Third, gender was the strongest determinant of leisure participation. The probability of women’s leisure participation was higher than men except in regards to sports and outdoor activities, and hobby activities.

Leisure time may be used to participate in activities alone, with family, or with other people. The purpose of this research was to identify types of leisure time with whom and determinants of the types. The data source for this research was the ‘2009 Time Use Survey’ conducted by the Korea National Statistical Office (KNSO). The item ‘people involved in each activity’ was surveyed for the first time by KNSO in 2009. 3,712 diaries completed by married adults aged 20 to 59 years were analyzed using chi-square, cluster analysis, and logistic regression analysis. Leisure time with whom was classified into four types based on three categories of leisure time (alone, with family, with others): “individual-oriented leisure,” “family-oriented leisure,” “others-oriented leisure,” and “vulnerable leisure.” These types were different by various socio-economic variables. And gender, work time, the presence of preschool children, and household type were identified as important determinants for the types.

This study gives an account of the state of baby-boomer households in regard to assets and liabilities utilizing the 2006 Household Asset Survey and the 2011 Survey of Household Finances. Using the data gathered from each year, this study examined the proportion of households who had each type of asset and liability, and the amount of them. This study also compared the amount of assets and liabilities of baby-boomer households with those of non baby-boomer households in 2006 and 2011 respectively. Finally, this study examined the amount of change and composition ratio of assets and liabilities of baby-boomer households between 2006 and 2011. Selected financial ratios were also presented for both years. Major findings are as follows. The average asset amount for baby-boomer households was approximately 296 million in 2006 and 392 million in 2011. Of total assets, 78% and 76.5% were real assets in 2006 and 2011 respectively. The average financial assets of 2006 baby-boomer households were approximately 66 thousand and the average amount of debt was 42 thousand. For 2011 baby-boomer households, the average amount of financial assets was 92 thousand and the average amount of debt was 73 thousand . Results from the 2011 survey showed that baby-boomer households had a significantly higher proportion of total assets, total debt, and net worth than non baby-boomer households. The proportion of savings, saving insurance, stocks, and mutual funds were significantly higher for baby-boomer households than non baby-boomer households in 2011. In regard to financial ratios, the emergency fund index and debt burden index were appropriate to the guidelines of asset quality, although the propensity to investment indexes were not.