The present study has sought to propose a basis for a plan to strengthen the will to become independent which corresponds to the characteristics per category of social support. This was achieved by understanding the level of the will to become indepe...
The present study has sought to propose a basis for a plan to strengthen the will to become independent which corresponds to the characteristics per category of social support. This was achieved by understanding the level of the will to become independent that operates as an important factor for economic independence and escape from poverty on the part of low income, single parent female householder.
The places that were surveyed include a prioritized random sampling of 5 centers from among 51 Healthy Family Support Centers, which gave consent to provide cooperation for the study, and of 4 centers located in the greater Seoul and Gyeonggi area from among 19 Community Social Welfare Center which are affiliated to the Child Find Korea. 20 copies each of the questionnaire were distributed to a total of 9 centers and a survey was conducted for 180 low income, single parent female householders.
The results of the survey on social support and the will to become independent in respect to low income, single parent female households are as follows.
First, the study has found that the will to become independent grows stronger as emotional support, which forms one of the components of social support for low income, single parent female householder, becomes greater. As such, a program for emotional independence needs to be developed to instill a will to become independent on the part of the low income, single parent female householder. Emotional independence denotes running one's own life based on self initiative by taking on an attitude that refuses to depend on others but is willing to come up with solutions autonomously when faced with a problem. To ensure such an emotional independence, there is a need to provide a systematic and sustained counseling program for emotional factors that impede the will to become independent such as psychological pain caused by problems of childcare, divorce, or bereavement, despair derived from personal relationship, and anxiety over the possible hereditary nature of poverty. And based on this, there is a need for motivation to maintain psychological stability and to acquire the will to become independent on the part of the low income, single parent female householder.
Second, it was found that the will to become independent grows stronger when information based support, which forms one of the components of social support for low income, single parent female householder, becomes greater. Thus, provision of diverse information on job training to assist with the problems of childcare or economic poverty as well as for independence and on social welfare service for single parent female householders are necessary. There is a need to convert from a one sided, temporary form of support to a sustained and an integrated service that supports independence via a welfare teamwork among related systems.
Third, social support does not seem to exert any meaningful influence upon aspiration for work, which constitutes one of the lower components of the will to become independent on the part of the low income, single parent female householder. This can be interpreted by recognizing that while the influence in respect to self confidence or self control via social support remains an issue confined to the level of personal psychology, the social skills related to whether one has the necessary work skills or language acquisition capability for actual employment as a householder of a single parent family precedes other factors. This implies that social support does not impact work aspiration. Hence, if a support that can inspire practical aspiration for work in regard to work training appropriate for a single parent female householder is provided along with social support, then it is judged that it can play a positive role in increasing work aspiration.
If one were to draw up implications and proposals for social support and the will to become independent for low income, single parent female householders based on the results of the present study, it would be as follows. First, a program for emotional independence to instill a will to become independent on the part of the low income, single parent female householder is necessary. Second, there is a need to convert to a sustained and comprehensive service to support independence via a provision of diverse information on social welfare service for low income, single parent female householder. Third, while the will to become independent on the part of the low income, single parent female householder is important to move out of poverty, what needs to precede is a variety of research on the method of social welfare intervention for independence and on the creation of favorable environment. The role of social welfare workers in each specialized fields is important for ensuring wide utilization of the program of independence for low income, single parent female householder. Also, social welfare specialists from each field should introduce a plan for individual persons and cases in order to ensure complete independence rather than making possible only temporary self support. They should also develop a yet more effective program of independence by furnishing training and service for self support appropriate for each individual.