Family Support Centers Research Articles

Public System for Family Counselling Service in South Korea

Over the last three decades, family therapy/counselling in South Korea has expanded significantly in both public and private sectors and this paper overviews its development and the status of public infrastructure. Since the establishment of the Korean Association of Family Therapy in 1988, family counselling has developed as a distinct professional area but was mainly carried out in the private sector until the mid‐2000s. In 2005, the Healthy Family Act was legislated, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family was established, and approximately 250 public family support centers (FSCs) are currently in operation with a key responsibility for family counselling. FSCs provide diverse services such as couple and family counselling, family group counselling, family helpline, and divorce counselling with an estimated 73,392 users in 2018 (KIHF, 2019). Furthermore, 63 FSCs are accredited as institutes for divorce counselling where various forms of service for divorcing families are provided. Although South Korea has one of the most advanced public systems for a family counselling service in Asia, some issues need to be resolved for its sustainable development including counsellor qualifications, appropriate fees, and the balance between public and private services.

결혼이주여성과 일반기혼여성 우울 비교 연구 : 충남 소재 A군 거주자를 중심으로

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the level of depression and the factors affecting depression among marriage immigrant women and Korean married women living in A town. Methods: The study subjects were women living in A town. Marriage immigrant women were purposively sampled subjects who visited the Multicultural Family Support Center and conducted 1:1 face-to-face interviews. Korean married women were randomly sampled and conducted an online survey due to COVID 19. The final analysis subjects were 115 marriage immigrant women and 186 Korean married women. Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, mean comparison(t-test, ANOVA), correlation anaylsis(Pearson’s correlation coefficient) and multiple regression using SPSS 27.0. As a result of comparing the depression levels measured using the CES-D, there was no significant difference in the depression levels between the two groups of marriage immigrant women and Korean married women Results: The significant influencing factors on depression of marriage immigrant women were age(p<.01), religious status(p<.01), period of residence in Korea(p<.1), husband's job (p<.05), subjective health status(p<.1), experience of domestic violence(p<.01), and family relationships(p<.05) and the significant influencing factors on depression of Korean married women were subjective health status(p<.01), age difference with husband(p<.05), experience of domestic violence(p<.05), and family relationship (p<.001). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, a program for mental health promotion was proposed for marriage immigrant women and Korean married women in community.

A Study of Social Integration through Sports Program among Migrant Women in Korea

This study aimed to examine sports programs at multicultural family support centers located throughout the country and present the possibility of social integration through the sports programs. The multicultural sports program showed that it affected the ability of migrant women in international marriages to socially integrate with other women like themselves, their husbands, and the natives, and also affected themselves. In order to clarify the purpose of the research, in-depth interviews were carried out. The collected material was transcribed, encoded, and classified. The results were analyzed from the perspective of sports’ physical, psychological, and social functions. This social integration was shown to be more effective than any other program at the multicultural family support center. Regarding their relationship with their husbands, the program provided opportunities for deepening their mutual understanding. The sports program was also utilized as a place of leisure for the women as well, and it was discovered that sports activities were being used as a means of resolving stress. The migrant women’s life radius and interpersonal relations were small due to their limited linguistic abilities. They provided opportunities to form confidence in their Korean life.

Evaluation of a Stress Management Course for Shipboard Sailors.

As part of their day-to-day operational mission, shipboard sailors experience unique stressors that can affect their health and readiness. The San Diego Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) conducts in-person classes to teach stress management principles to sailors. The FFSC stress management course covers the causes and consequences of stress, reviews the Navy Operational Stress Control model, and provides information on basic stress management skills. This course has not been rigorously evaluated to determine its impact on the sailors' ability to manage stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term impact of the FFSC stress management class on the (1) sailors' stress management knowledge, (2) sailors' intention to share knowledge from the class with others, and (3) sailors' satisfaction with the class. Shipboard sailors (n = 95) who attended a stress management course completed pretest and posttest assessments that measured workplace stress, current stress management behaviors, stress management knowledge, intention to share course information, and participant satisfaction with the course. Most ratings were made on a 5-point scale, where higher scores indicated more positive outcomes. In the aggregate, participants gave high marks for the class (M = 3.81, SD = 0.66), gave positive ratings for the class instructors (M = 3.84, SD = 0.67), and were satisfied with the class (M = 4.05, SD = 0.63). Sailors also reported that the class was relevant to their work (M = 3.64, SD = 0.81). Overall, 80% of class participants intended to share information learned in the class with family members and military friends, potentially extending the reach and impact of the FFSC class. Finally, sailors did not show increased stress management knowledge as a result of taking the FFSC stress management class (P = .31). This study was the first evaluation of the short-term impact of the FFSC stress management course on the stress management knowledge of shipboard crews. Study limitations prevented the study team from assessing the long-term impact of the stress management course on future stress levels and stress abatement behaviors. Recommendations are made to enhance future evaluations of FFSC classes for service members.

A Study on the Types of Perception about the Korean Citizenship of Female Marriage Immigrants in Korea : Q Methodological Approach

본 연구는 자녀를 둔 여성결혼이민자의 한국국적에 관한 인식 유형을 탐색하고, 그 유형별 특성을 규명하기 위해 Q 방법론을 통해 수행되었다. 이를 위해 본 연구는 2018년 9월부터 2019년 11월까지 다문화지원센터와 지역사회복지관의 프로그램에 참여하고, 자녀가 있는 여성 결혼이민자를 대상으로 한 심층 면접 자료와 OECD의 ‘사회통합지표’, 그리고 다문화·다양성 측정지표체계의 국적 관련 부분 등을 참조하여 31개의 Q 표본을 선정하였다. 또한, 본 연구는 서울, 경기 지역의 다문화가족지원센터 및 지역사회복지관을 거점으로 자녀를 둔 여성결혼이민자 20명을 P 표본으로 채택하였다. 분석 결과, 여성결혼이민자의 한국국적에 관한 인식유형은 ‘가족과 일 양립의 한국국적 선호형’, ‘출신국을 염두에 둔 한국국적 보류형’, ‘실리추구를 통한 한국국적 선택형’의 세 유형으로 분류되었다. 본 연구는 각 유형별 특성을 확인하고, 각 유형별 특성을 고려한 정책적, 행정적, 실천적 함의를 전달하였다.This study explored the different perceptions regarding the Korean citizenship of female marriage immigrants in Korea and investigated the characteristics of each type through Q methodology. For the purpose of study, 31 Q samples were derived from interviews with female marriage immigrants who participated in programs of muticultural support centers and community service agencies and literature reviews on cultural diversity, whereas 20 P samples were selected from female marriage immigrants who attended community-based multicultural family support centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. As a result of study, three types were distinguished: First (1) the preference for the Korean citizenship in order to balance between family and work, second (2) the desire to obtain the Korean citizenship but simultaneously maintain values their mother land had to offer and lastly (3) the selection of Korean citizenship for practical profit. Based on the findings, policy and practical implications for better services are suggested, considering their perceptions of Korean citizenship.

A Qualitative Study on the Family Counseling Effectiveness of the Seoul Healthy Family Support Center: Focusing on Family Counselors’ Experience of the Family-Specialized Counseling Program

A Qualitative Study on the Family Counseling Effectiveness of the Seoul Healthy Family Support Center: Focusing on Family Counselors’ Experience of the Family-Specialized Counseling Program

The Impact of Job Demands and Organizational Culture on Work Performance, Burnout, and Job Satisfaction in Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Centers during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study examined the impact of job demand and organizational culture on new task difficulties, burnout, and job satisfaction using a survey data of 145 family specialists in Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the job demand-resources model and the competing values model to categorize the four dimensions of organizational culture as a conceptual framework for this study. We found that the mean of work overload was higher than the means of job conflict and job ambiguity. Our latent profile analysis proposed four profiles of organizational culture: cultural absence type, authoritative culture type, middle cultural balance type, and high cultural balance type. The results of multiple regression analyses showed that work overload was positively associated with difficulties in new task performance and burnout, job ambiguity was positively related to burnout, and job conflict and ambiguity were negatively related to job satisfaction. These findings imply that the higher the job demands reported by family specialists, the higher the level of burnout and the lower the job satisfaction. In addition, organizational culture was a unique predictor of burnout and lower level of job satisfaction. Family specialists in the groups with a high cultural balance were Family specialists in the groups with a high cultural balance were more likely to have lower levels of burnout than those in the culture absence and in the middle culture balance, and higher job satisfaction than the other groups. The results suggest that management strategies to build a creative workplace culture can prevent burnout and improve job satisfaction.

Factors Influencing Quality of Care Service of Caregivers for Preschoolers.

The number of households that have benefited from childcare support services has steadily increased, while the number of caregivers has also climbed. Studies on the care service of childcare providers are needed. This study was to examine and identify the factors influencing the degree of quality of care service for preschoolers among caregivers. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed. Samples included 138 caregivers for preschoolers in health family support centers, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Data included the general characteristics of study participants, quality of care service for preschoolers, childcare efficacy, job satisfaction, and caregiver–child interaction. Data were collected from June to August 2019. The factors influencing the quality of care service for preschoolers among caregivers were caregiver–child interaction. The explanatory power of the final regression model was 37%. This study suggests that the caregiver–child interaction should be improved to improve the quality of care service for preschoolers among caregivers, and health professionals need to pay attention to this issue in community fields. The findings from this study can be implied on health policy for childcare support service.

Supporting the social integration of migrant women in South Korea through language services: Roles of marriage migrant interpreters in multicultural family support centre counselling services

ABSTRACT Since the mid-1990s, over 280,000 women, mostly from Asian countries, have settled in South Korea by marrying Korean men, forming so-called ‘multicultural families’. Government-funded multicultural family support centres (MFSCs) play a central role in the implementation of various support programmes for marriage migrant women and multicultural families. MFSC marriage migrant interpreters, who are also marriage migrant women, deliver language services in a wide range of settings. Apart from interpreting and translation work, they perform multiple roles as helpers and mediators, including responding to inquiries from service users and offering basic informal counselling. Based on interviews with marriage migrant interpreters and counselling staff at MFSCs, this paper examines the conflicting perceptions and expectations of marriage migrant interpreters’ role(s) in MFSC counselling settings. Such role confusion creates tension between the role based on the interpreter ethics and the actual enactment in daily practice, and raises further issues of trust and status. This paper argues that the lack of clarity about the occupational identity of marriage migrant interpreters not only jeopardises the professionalisation of community interpreting, but also undermines the empowerment of migrant women, including marriage migrant interpreters.

The Experience of Alienation of Marriage Migrant Women in the Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center

The Experience of Alienation of Marriage Migrant Women in the Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center

다문화가족지원센터의 결혼이민자 취업지원서비스 : 현황과 발전방향

다문화가족지원센터의 결혼이민자 취업지원서비스 : 현황과 발전방향

The Experience of Alienation of Marriage Migrant Women in the Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center

The Experience of Alienation of Marriage Migrant Women in the Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Center

Multicultural Family Support Centers in South Korea Coping with COVID-19: Focus Group Interview

Multicultural Family Support Centers in South Korea Coping with COVID-19: Focus Group Interview

청년 1인가구의 여가생활과 여가의 의미

This study focuses on the leisure activities of young, single-person households. Data collection involved selecting and interviewing eight cases. The results are as follows: 1. The leisure activities of young, single people are divided between weekdays and weekends. 2. Important factors affecting these leisure activities are time, money, and cognition. 3. Respondents maintain their work-life balance by focusing on weekdays and weekends, they work and study intensively on weekdays and spend their time and money on leisure and rest on weekends. 4. Young people want a chance to meet and share their experiences with others. This point must be central to planning the Healthy Family Support Center program.

다문화가족지원센터의 이중언어 환경조성 사업 현황과 쟁점

다문화가족지원센터의 이중언어 환경조성 사업 현황과 쟁점

A Study on the Cultural Adaptation Stress Experience of Female Marriage Immigrants: Focused on the Healthy family support centers and Multi-cultural family support centers in Incheon

A Study on the Cultural Adaptation Stress Experience of Female Marriage Immigrants: Focused on the Healthy family support centers and Multi-cultural family support centers in Incheon

결혼이주여성의 지각된 건강상태, 지각된 장애성, 문화적응이 임파워먼트에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of perceived health status, perceived barrier and cultural acculturation on the married migrant women’s empowerment. A total of 98 immigrant women participated in this study at 2 health centers and 2 multi-cultural family support center in metropolitan city. Data were collected using a structured questionnaires including demographics, characteristics related to marriage migration, perceived health status, perceived barrier, cultural acculturation and empowerment from May 3 to December 28, 2018. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and hierarchical multiple regression by SPSS 23.0 program. The influencing factors of the married immigrant women’s empowerment were perceived barrier and cultural acculturation. Also, these factors explained 27.5% of the variance in the married migrant women’s empowerment. Based on these findings, it’s necessary to develop program that could enhance their cultural acculturation and reduce their perceived barrier for the married migrant women’s empowerment.

A Study on the Program of Intergrated Services in Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Centers in Chungcheong Province

A Study on the Program of Intergrated Services in Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Centers in Chungcheong Province

서울시 자치구 건강가정⋅다문화가족지원센터 이용자의 통합서비스 이용 경험 연구: 혼합방법론 접근

The purpose of this study was to explore program users’ experiences with integrated family support services in local Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Centers (HFMFSCs) located in Seoul. We used a mixed methods design, which integrated analyses and findings from quantitative (N=415) and qualitative (N=12) data, to better understand users’ experiences with HFMFSCs. The participants were center users who participated in HFMFSC services. The quantitative analysis found that users had relatively positive perceptions of the center integration but multicultural families rated employee continuity relatively low and non-multicultural families rated accessibility low. Multicultural families’ evaluations of the programs before and after the center integration were more positive than those of non-multicultural families. The qualitative analysis highlighted that both multicultural and non-multicultural families wanted to expand the programs where multicultural and non-multicultural families could participate together. These findings emphasized that both groups had some common and some different needs for integrated family support services. Therefore, it is important to provide a variety of programs tailored to users’ individual needs.

Longitudinal reciprocal relationships between self‐esteem, family support, and life satisfaction in Korean multicultural adolescents

AbstractThis study examines longitudinal reciprocal relationships between self‐esteem, family support, and life satisfaction in Korean multicultural adolescents to draw implications for human service practice and policy. It uses data from the second (2012), fourth (2014), and sixth (2016) Waves of Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), which included 1,307 multicultural adolescents. For the study, the authors used an autoregressive cross‐lagged model to test longitudinal relationships between the variables. The results show that self‐esteem, family support, and life satisfaction were stable over a 4‐year period and that they were mutually and positively significant, except for life satisfaction, which did not show any effect on family support in the fourth and sixth waves. The findings suggest that human service agencies, including school social work services and Multicultural Family Support centers, may develop programs to enhance self‐esteem, family support systems, and life satisfaction for Korean multicultural adolescents.