Does social capital always raise life satisfaction? A comparison of South Korea and Taiwan

This study examined the relationship between social capital and life satisfaction in an Asian context, focusing on South Korea and Taiwan. We considered two components of social capital – networks and trust – and argue that the ability of social capital to increase life satisfaction depends on the context. Using the national Life and Society survey data from South Korea (N = 978) and Taiwan (N = 1,200), our analysis found that, when several control variables, such as subjective social status, self‐reported health condition, sex and belief in individualism, were considered, social capital was positively related to life satisfaction in Taiwan, while there was no significant association between social capital and life satisfaction in South Korea. The South Korean case revealed that social capital is not a good predictor of life satisfaction in a context in which being successful is overwhelmingly emphasised.     

Migration, ageing and mental health: an ethnographic study on perceptions of life satisfaction, anxiety and depression in older Somali men in east London

This ethnographic study was carried out in the aftermath of an epidemiological investigation, the first of its kind, on the health and social status of Somalis aged 60 years and over living in Tower Hamlets, east London. The main aims of the study are to explore views on mental health and well-being and identify sources of stress and support so as to gain greater understanding of background factors of life satisfaction and depression in 'first-generation' older Somali migrants in Tower Hamlets (males). Face-to-face interviews were conducted among 28 males in Somali with the help of a bilingual interpreter from the same age, sex and cultural background of participants. Several factors were perceived to decrease life satisfaction and increase vulnerability to depression in male Somalis, in particular low family support in the face of increasing physical disability, loneliness, inadequate access to community services and inability to return home. Social isolation, low level of control over one's life, helplessness and social degradation – ageism, perceived racial/religious discrimination and, to a lesser extent, racial harassment – were common themes identified in people who said to be depressed. Family support was the main buffer against depression; other coping resources were represented by religious practices and reliance on Somali peers. Avoidance coping seemed to encompass denial of depression in participants who had low mood. The study revealed multiple reasons for ill-being, in particular in people who had high expectations about medical and social care. Low levels of distress were found in Somalis who felt supported by their families. There is a need for social workers and other health professionals to advance discussions of mental-health issues in the community and for service providers to promote greater access to culturally relevant medical and social services for Somali elders in Tower Hamlets and strengthen their informal support networks.     

Poverty Among Korean Immigrant Older Adults: Examining the Effects of Social Exclusion

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have shown that elderly Asian immigrants face greater risks for living in poverty compared with their native contemporaries. Particularly, Korean immigrant older adults are reported to be most likely to experience poverty among many Asian immigrant groups. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which demographic, human capital, and social exclusion factors contribute to such economic vulnerability among Korean immigrant older adults. Adding to previous research, this study broadly conceptualizes social exclusion and tests for its additive effects on poverty using nationally representative public data of Korean immigrant older adults. From the 2008–2010 Public Use Microdata Sample of the American Community Survey, this study extracts a sample that consists of individuals aged 65 years and older whose national origin is Korean, who were not born in the United States, and thereafter immigrated to the United States (N = 3,820). The findings indicate that 3 dimensions of social exclusion—exclusion from social and civic life, exclusion from asset building, and exclusion from the labor market—contribute significantly to Korean immigrant older adults’ odds of living in poverty. The study concludes with practice implications for socially inclusive workforce development as a way to ameliorate economic afflictions among Korean immigrant older adults.     

What factors may assist social workers to promote life satisfaction and personal growth among first‐time grandfathers?

Drawing on positive psychology and the perception of families as systems, the current study examined the contribution of variables regarding first‐time grandfathers and their sons, who have become first‐time fathers, to grandfathers' life satisfaction and personal growth. In addition, the association between the frequency of meetings between grandfather and grandchild to grandfathers' life satisfaction and personal growth was examined. The sample consisted of 106 pairs of first‐time Jewish Israeli grandfathers and their sons (n = 212). The grandfathers completed questionnaires relating to personal variables such as narcissism, family relations and frequency of meetings with the grandchild, and reported on their sense of life satisfaction and personal growth. The fathers completed questionnaires relating to personal variables, narcissism and family relations. Higher levels of grandfathers' life satisfaction were associated with their own perception of good family relations; higher levels of grandfathers' personal growth were related to their narcissism. The grandfather's perception of the frequency of meetings with the grandchild was found to moderate between the father's narcissism and the grandfather's life satisfaction and personal growth. The findings point to the crucial role social workers may play in enhancing life satisfaction and enabling personal growth through dedicated intergenerational interventions.     

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Various Approaches to Visiting Isolated Community Elderly

Two studies were conducted evaluating the effectiveness of friendly visitor programs in increasing clients' life satisfaction. Study 1 found no difference between face-to-face visiting, phone visiting, and a no treatment control on client life satisfaction. Study 2 found a marginally significant difference in favor of a personal history approach over a companionship approach to visiting in increasing client life satisfaction. Clients' living situation (alone or with others) had no effect on changes in life satisfaction in Study 1. However, in Study 2 clients who lived with someone increased their life satisfaction more than clients who lived alone.     

Multidimensional life satisfaction,stressful events and social support network of Brazilian children in out‐of‐home care

In 1990, the Child and Adolescents' Statute was passed in Brazil which led to important changes in shelter homes for children who have been removed due to child maltreatment. However very few studies have been conducted on this population since this policy change; the goal of this study is to assess the multidimensional life satisfaction, stressful life events and social network of children living in shelters compared with those living with their families. The sample consists of 155 children ages 7–16 years living in shelters and 142 children living with their families. Data were collected using a structured interview, the Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, the Stressful Life Events Inventory and the Five Field Map. The shelter sub‐sample had many at‐risk characteristics; they also had significantly greater average scores on stressful life events and social support network, while they had lower than average scores on multidimensional life satisfaction. Factors that significantly contributed to predicting life satisfaction were stressful life events, social support network and conflicts with family members. The findings highlight differences between children living in shelters compared to those living with their families; this article also discusses the policy implications of these findings for child welfare practice in Brazil.     

Contact with Family Members and its Impact on Adolescents and Their Foster Placements

This paper discusses findings from a recently completed studyof adolescent foster care, which included a detailed assessmentof the fostering skills and supports of carers and of the contactthat adolescents had with parents, siblings and other familymembers during a long-term foster placement. Sixty-eight fostercarers, young people and their social workers were interviewedat two points in time, 3 months after the start of a new fosterplacement and again at 12 months or at the point of disruptionif this occurred earlier. Detailed questions about contact whichwere asked of foster carers, young people and their social workersenabled the researchers to make summary ratings about the quantityand the quality of contact and its effect on the young peopleand on their placements. This paper describes the contact theyoung people had with their families, its impact on them andon the foster families and how it changed over time. The findingsrevealed that contact for the majority of adolescents was problematicand had a significant impact on placement outcomes. Ways ofmanaging contact are highlighted, and the corresponding implicationsfor policy and practice discussed.     

Direct and Moderating Effects of Ethnic Identity

This study examines the relationship between two aspects of intergenerational conflict (acculturative and developmental) and depression among Korean American adolescents as well as the role of ethnic identity as a moderator of the relationship. First, the results of the study demonstrate that acculturative conflict has a greater impact on depression than developmental conflict. Second, the study indicates that ethnic identity predicts a decreased risk of depression. Finally, the study shows that the effect of acculturative conflict on depression is moderated by ethnic identity. In addition, the results suggest the need for further research in the area of ethnic identity and its unique relationship to psychosocial factors. Granting limitations imposed by the study design, the study supports the buffering role of ethnic identity and suggests a need for the enhancement of ethnic identity among Korean American adolescents.     

Caregiver Burden: A Comparison Between Elderly Women as Primary and Secondary Caregivers for Their Spouses

The overall purpose of this research was to examine the burdens of caregiving on elderly women who serve as primary and secondary caregivers for their impaired spouses. Fifty women 60 years and older identified as spousal caregivers participated in an in-person structured interview. Data were analyzed to compare primary caregivers (caregivers living with their spouses) and secondary caregivers (caregivers of institutionalized spouses) on the following factors: loneliness, depression, time constraints, perceived health status, financial status and perceived life satisfaction. Findings suggest that both groups of women are equally susceptible to the burdens inherent in caregiving. Time constraints were identified as the one major difference between caregiving groups. In addition, the results indicate that spousal caregivers, both primary and secondary, are an at-risk population and are especially vulnerable to loneliness, mild depression, financial worries and low life satisfaction.     

Meta‐analysis of depression among marriage‐based migrant women in South Korea

Using meta‐analysis, this study examines the effect sizes of the variables related to depression and the moderating effects of depression among marriage‐based migrant women in South Korea to determine the implications for human service fields. This study identified 25 peer‐reviewed articles from 2000 to 2014 published in either Korean or in English. Results showed that (i) Korean language proficiency and economic hardship had significant effect sizes relative to depression; (ii) the psychosocial characteristics (i.e., acculturative stress, social support, marital satisfaction, life satisfaction, and self‐esteem) of this population had medium effect sizes relative to depression; and (iii) use of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, residence in agricultural areas, average age, and average length of stay in Korea had significant moderating effects. Based on these results, the authors discuss social work practices and policies for this population, suggesting the priorization of marriage‐based migrant women in agricultural areas who have lived in Korea for short lengths of time.     

The Intertwined Relationship between Self‐esteem and Peer Stress Among Korean Adolescents: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Although the association between self‐esteem and peer stress among adolescents is not unidirectional, and the two constructs probably coevolve and coexist over time, these two constructs and their possible mutual influence have rarely been tested in one single study. The present study examined whether there are bidirectional interactions between self‐esteem and perceptions of peer stress across five or six annual waves using a nationally representative sample of two cohorts of South Korean youth. The sample comprised 2844 fourth graders (M = 9.86 years) and 3449 eighth graders (M = 13.79 years) at wave 1. Findings suggested that self‐esteem was positively associated with peer stress in early and middle adolescence, whereas peer stress was negatively associated with self‐esteem in early adolescence, but had positive links in middle and late adolescence. The implications of the results were discussed.     

Social protection for happiness? The impact of social pension reform on subjective well-being of the Korean elderly

Expanding the scope of the traditional indicators used to assess economic progress with measures of subjective well-being has been of growing importance in policy modeling. A recent Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi report argued that policy decisions and welfare evaluations should be approached from a broader perspective on well-being and take into account metrics derived from self-reports of living conditions. To this end, we evaluate the efficacy of the 2014 social pension reform in South Korea using various measures of subjective well-being. The South Korean government introduced a basic old-age pension in 2008 and doubled its monthly benefits in 2014. The reform in 2014 represents one of the largest social welfare expansions in South Korean history, with an aim to improve seniors’ quality of life. Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we estimate a matched difference-in-differences model that isolates the causal effects of the benefit increase attributable to the reform. Results show that the reform was associated with an average of 4.8–5.7% increase in financial satisfaction among beneficiaries, and that this correlation was more pronounced for retirees, seniors above age 70, and those at the bottom of wealth distribution. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that satisfaction with health status, parent-child relationship, and overall quality of life has improved in response. Our findings are in contrast to the past evidence on objective welfare gains associated with pension expansion. Taken together this study calls for the use of self-reported well-being data in policy evaluation.     

Life satisfaction in the transition from care to adulthood: the contribution of readiness to leave care and social support

This research explores whether readiness to leave care mediates the association between social support – from peers, staff and biological parents – on the verge of leaving care and life satisfaction a year after among young people ageing out of care in Israel. The results represent two waves of a longitudinal study. Two hundred seventy‐two adolescents from residential settings in Israel completed a self‐administered questionnaire shortly before they left care, and one year later, 234 of them were interviewed to assess their life satisfaction. Readiness to leave care was found to mediate the relationship between most social support measurements and life satisfaction. At the same time, the findings also suggest that this mediating effect varies for different types of support and has a lesser amount of influence for profound emotional support than other types of support. These findings highlight the need to include both the preparation to leave care and the reinforcement of emotional support available to young people who aged out of care, before and throughout the transition from care to adulthood.     

Impact of job characteristics on turnover intention and the mediating effects of job satisfaction: experiences of home visiting geriatric care workers in Korea

This study investigated the effects of job characteristics on turnover intention and the mediating effects of job satisfaction. A survey of 317 Korean care workers currently providing in-home elderly care service in the city of Seoul and its suburbs was conducted. The results of multiple regressions and an analysis of mediating effects indicated that role ambiguity and workload had significant effects on turnover intention. In addition, job satisfaction had a mediating effect on the influence of role ambiguity and workload on turnover intention. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Life Satisfaction Among Israeli Youth in Residential Treatment Care

This study is a preliminary examination of life satisfactionamong 103 children in one residential treatment care (RTC) settingin Israel. Life satisfaction was examined using the MultidimensionalStudents Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). Gender differencesin life satisfaction and correlations with background and in-carevariables were examined. The study revealed that girls weremore satisfied with RTC-specific domains than boys and thatthe residential child-care worker–child relationship playsa major role in the child’s life satisfaction. Findingsprovided some support for the utility of the MSLSS to describeRTC children and youth’s life satisfaction across a numberof important life domains. Ongoing administration of such scaleshas the potential to monitor RTC children’s life satisfactionand its correlates throughout their stay in care.     

Explaining Korean Welfare State Development with New Empirical Data and Methods

Selecting Korea as one of the conceptually classified East Asian welfare states, this paper aims to empirically investigate the determinants of Korean welfare state development. Linking the research question with the lively discussion on welfare state in Korea that is taking place domestically, this paper also aims to examine whether the development of the Korean welfare state has been influenced by politics of the left or by industrialization with functionalistic perspectives. We conduct an analysis first by regression analysis and then fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine the conditions of such development. A Korean Welfare State Dataset (KWSD) has been newly included in the Comparative Welfare State Dataset (CWSD) and we used this new dataset for our empirical analysis. Our empirical findings suggest that, at least up to the current point, factors other than economic development or industrialization are not robust enough to make a claim of a take‐off of the Korean welfare state from its developmental stage. However, we also notice the influence of the left government and suggest that it is legitimate to expect an innovative change in the path of the Korean welfare state once the power resource theory is applicable.     

The interaction effects of scheduling control and work–life balance programs on job satisfaction and mental health

Jang SJ, Park R, Zippay A. The interaction effects of scheduling control and work–life balance programs on job satisfaction and mental health Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 135–143 © 2010 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare. The demands of balancing employment and family responsibilities strain the health and welfare of many employees worldwide, and social welfare policy analysts are increasingly attending to the factors that can alleviate such stress. The present study examined associations between the availability of work–life balance programs, employees' authority to arrange their own work hours, job satisfaction, and mental health among 1,293 employees in 50 companies in South Korea. The study is unique in its use of multilevel analysis in examining individual‐ and company‐level variables. The results add to the evidence regarding the positive relationship between the availability of scheduling control and work–life balance policies on the one hand, and job satisfaction and mental wellbeing, on the other.     

Risk and resilience factors for substance use among street adolescents: Assessment and development of an integrative model

In this study, risk and protective factors for substance use were explored to develop an intervention program and test its efficacy among male street‐based adolescents. Twenty expert interviews and key informant interviews were conducted. In addition, 30 street adolescents (15 substance‐users and 15 non‐users) participated in four focus group discussions for needs assessment, wherein risk and protective factors were discussed. Based on the identified needs, an intervention package was developed and validated by experts. The package was implemented in a natural environment of 50 street adolescents. After the intervention, about 60% of the respondents quit or cut down on their substance use substantially, and approximately 40% of the respondents agreed to reunite with their respective families, while 20% did not change their substance use habits. The results showed that if several protective factors were present, there was a lower risk of substance use. Many factors contribute to substance use and protective factors need to be strengthened in order to make interventions effective.     

Growing up in foster care: providing a secure base through adolescence

As the UK Government White Paper, Care Matters: Time for Change , suggested, foster children need the care system to provide them with good quality foster family care that will help them through childhood to success and fulfilment of their potential in adult life.
This paper draws on the third phase of Growing Up in Foster Care , a longitudinal study of 52 children in planned, long-term foster care (1997–2006). It aims to increase our understanding of the transformational power of foster family relationships over time and particularly in adolescence. It shows how a secure base parenting model, using concepts from attachment and resilience, can be applied to foster care of adolescents. The paper uses case material to demonstrate each dimension of this secure base model and to emphasise how, even when adolescents have had stable and effective placements, they are likely to need support through into adulthood.     

Satisfaction with Health Care and Community Esteem Among Rural Women

The present study examines the ways in which satisfaction with health care may be associated with the lives of rural women. One hundred thirty one rural women between the ages of 45 and 70 years completed measures of community esteem, life satisfaction, satisfaction with health care, health status, and mood. The results showed that rural women's satisfaction with their health care was associated with the extent to which they hold their community in esteem and their degree of life satisfaction. Moreover, women who had poor health were less satisfied with the available health care than were healthier women. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the well-being of rural communities in general.