This paper intended to examine the impacts of family resilience on the family stresses of single-parent families. For achieving the purpose, we looked out over single-parent families under the concept of health based upon an advantage viewpoint and tr...
This paper intended to examine the impacts of family resilience on the family stresses of single-parent families. For achieving the purpose, we looked out over single-parent families under the concept of health based upon an advantage viewpoint and tried to make clear that which factors of family resilience help alleviate the family stresses of single-parent families and overcome them.
Typically, since single-parent families are placed in more vulnerable living conditions than those of both-parent families, they are prone to face many troubles. And the problematic elements are so multiply entangled that they put too heavy pressures on single-parent families. Those family stresses against single-parent families are substantial obstacles to re-adaptation of the families to social life or activities after they have belonged in the group of single-parent families. Therefore, a study is needed to deal with how the family group can effectively cope with the stresses.
Most of the previous researches on the matter included in this paper were focused on negative problems with which single-parent families had. While the explanations of their positive characteristics and consequences were overlooked: interactions among the family members in the aspects of mentality, family relations, and dependence as well as their potential capacities.
Therefore, contrary to problem-oriented viewpoints, this paper brings to focus on the family resilience founded upon advantage and systematic viewpoints in order to reveal the family stresses of single-parent families. In other words, we tried to investigate some crucial points of family resilience that can contribute to mitigating the stresses of the families and getting them over. For the purpose of accomplishing the aim, we suggested the following question for our study.
[Research Question] How family resilience has an effect on the family stresses of single-parent families?
For answering the question above, we set up three hypotheses and nine sub-hypotheses under the considerations of diverse implications of family resilience.
For data collections, we conducted a sampling from the mothers whose children were one of the members of single-parent families and attended elementary, middle, and high schools in the city of Seoul in September, 2005. We applied a non-probability purposive sampling for the work. Distribution and collection of questionnaires were done through the following channel: principals of each school → chiefs of school affairs → departments of course consultations → class teachers → students having single-parents → single-mothers for the study. The route of questionnaire collections was vice versa. The total 300 of questionnaires were distributed and among them, the total 231 were collected. 40 from 231 were excluded due to insufficient answers. As a result, the total 191 were applied to analyze. Using the statistical analysis program of SPSS 12.0, three analytical studies were conducted: technical analysis, Bivariate Correlation analysis, and Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis.
The results of this study are summarized as follows.
First, under the controls over the impacts of variables of the sociology of population, belief systems of family resilience (family control, morality & religion, and family advantages) had no influence on relieving the stresses of single-parent families. And hypothesis 1 was not confirmed.
Second, under the controls over the impacts of variables of the sociology of population, flexibility, one of the organizational types of family resilience (flexibility, connection, and family resources) had no effect on the reduction of the family stresses. Hypothesis 2-1 was not supportive. While connection and family resources were proved to influence the alleviation of the family stresses. Hypothesis 2-2 and 2-3 were confirmed.
Third, likewise, under the controls over the impacts of variables of the sociology of population, communication process of family resilience (lucidity, emotional reactions, and problem solution) had no effect on it. Hypothesis 3 was not supportive.
In aspects of family resilience, these results verify the fact that how much close the organizations of single-parent families are and how much they have family resources become so important factors for reducing the degrees of stresses which the family members can face. Also, although they have the same characteristics of the sociology of population, it is proven as the stresses of the family members undergo a separate influence according to the organizational connection and family resources of family resilience.
Now, we suggest practical significances to be considered for single-parent families based upon the results mentioned above.
First, an intervention or an access are needed to consider family social features of single-parent families and reinforce family resilience.
Second, relation promotion programs between mothers and children and social assistances should be offered to enhance the connection of the family group members.
Third, the security of family resources is another way for the reinforcement of family resilience and it can result in settling the difficulties and problems single-parent families have.
Through this study, we can grasp that single-parent families hold comparatively enough resilience for tackling adversity and crisis. In particular, connection and family resources, one of the subordinate factors of family resilience organizations, are proven to fairly contribute to going down the stresses of single-parent families and overcoming them. Therefore, focusing on the two factors (connection and family resources services), a more profound research should be carried out to intensify and extend family resilience.