한국 여성사회복지사에 관한 연구동향 분석: 주제범위 문헌고찰(Scoping Review) = A Scoping Review of Research Trends on Female Social Workers in South Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aimed to examine research trends on female social workers in Korea by applying the five-stage scoping review framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). Relevant literature was identified through five major academic search engines, and following a thorough review, 27 studies were included in the final analysis. The findings show that research on female social workers first emerged in 2002 and has since been primarily conducted by scholars in the field of social work, with most publications appearing in related academic journals. Quantitative methodologies, along with the collection and analysis of primary data, were the predominant research approaches employed. Among the selected studies, seven compared male and female social workers, while 20 focused exclusively on female social workers, with more than half of these studies involving married women as research participants. The main research themes were categorized into six areas: working conditions, organizational culture, gender discrimination and the glass ceiling, burnout and mental health, professional development and growth, and childbirth and parenting. Collectively, these studies highlighted that female social workers remain constrained by gender role stereotypes and structural gender inequalities. Based on these results, the study underscores the necessity of promoting gender equality among social workers, strengthening advocacy for female social workers’ rights, and expanding the scope of research in this area. Furthermore, it calls for future studies to refine analyses by comparing not only across gender groups but also by rank, organizational type, and career stage.