(The) analytical study of Korean Social Security System on a viewpoint of the Equality

Social Security System is the primary method of providing income and health maintenance programs for the families whenever earnings are reduced due to poor health, unemployment, retirement, and death. In case of Korea, the system has been started with the introduction of health insurance in 1977 and has been built the frame of social security system with social insurance and public assistance. But it has not been faithful to it's goal but rather the low income class in rural and urban areas has been push out from the social security system. As the policy of first growth and second distribution, government has used the social security system only to promote economic conditions of the nation. Thus it gave no benefit someone who need the social security system best. The purpose of the present study is to observe the problems of inequality in empiricism and to find the alternative social security system on a viewpoint of the equality. To analyze inequality, a paradigm of equality of opportunity and an economic equality of redistribution of wealth were adopted. The former was analyzed with respect to allocation, accessibility, and use in this study. In allocations, it is observed that Korean Social Security System has been expanded to be focused a stable wage earner, only to have a difficulty in dealing with the problem of the class of alienation. In access and use, because of regional disparity and discriminative treatment in social security system, it shows inequality. The latter was analyzed respect to inequlity from the impact of the unfairness of contribution system of the insurance bill. The analysis shows that the inequality between communities and class is existed. Therefore, the rural resident receives social security benefit less that of urban resident, and the low income class receives benefit less than the higher income class. To solve the inequality problem to the system from the above analytical results, the future direction of the Korean social security system is suggested as two ways. Firstly, the affirmative actions should be taken to change the structure of inequality in society for the rural residents and the low income class. In addition, and attempt to supply and equal situation should be tried. Furthermore, the system should be adjusted to the neglected groups can take benefits and adjusted to the social integrity, social justice, and individual's self-realization. Especially social security system should be reorganized for the farmers and fishermen. Secondly, to access and economic equality and realize income redistribution, the insurance bill contribution system should be improved. The present contribution system of the national pension and medical insurance bill have been unfavorable to the low income class in rural and urban areas, therefore it must be changed to accomplish an equality.;사회보장제도는 질병, 실업, 퇴직, 사망 등 생활상의 위험에서 국민들의 생활, 즉 소득과 건강을 보장하려는 목적에서 실시되었는데 우리나라의 경우 1977년 의료보험제도의 도임을 계기로 확산되어 오늘날 사회보험과 공적부조로 그 제도의 골격을 갖추게 되었다. 그러나, 우리나라의 사회보장제도는 선성장 후분배의 경제성장 우선정책에 따라 정치 경제체제의 유지발전을 위해 필요시만 도입 실시되어 왔기 때문에 농어촌과 도시지역의 저소득층은 사회보장에 있어 가장 나중의 우선 순위로 밀려나는 등 사회보장제도 본래의 목적에 충실하지 못하였다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 사회보장의 필요성이. 가장 큰 사람이 제도내에서 제외되는 등 우리나라의 사회보장제도가 평등이라는 관점에서 고찰했을 때 드러내는 불평등의 문제점들을 경험적으로 규명해 보고, 그 문제들을 해결하기 위한 대안으로 평등주의적 입장에서 사회보장제도가 나가야 할 방향을 찾아 보는 것을 목적으로 하고 있다. 소득보장과 의료보장으로 이루어지는 사회보장제도의 불평등 구조 분석은 먼저 기회의 불평등과 경제적 불평등의 측면에서 이루어졌는데 기회불평등의 경우 사회보장제도의 적용대상, 접근성, 이용성의 3가지 면에서 분석이 시도되었다. 적용대상에서는 우리나라의 사회보장제도가 비교적 안정된 수입을 갖고 있는 임금근로자을 중심으로 적용 확대되고 있음을 보았고, 접근성과 이용성에서는 지역격차로 인한 불평등과 제도내의 차별적 요소로 이해 겪게되는 불평등 문제를 살펴보았다. 다음으로 경제적 불평등에서는 주로 사회보험의 보험료 기여에서 나타나는 불평등 현상을 분석하였다. 이러한 분석결과 도시지역에 비해 농촌지역이, 그리고 고소득층에 비해 저소득층이 상대적으로 불리한 형편에 놓임으로써 지역간, 계층간 불평등을 야기하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이와같은 분석 결과를 토대로 우리나라의 사회보장제도가 불평등 문제를 극복하고 앞으로 나아가야 할 방향을 2가지 면에서 모색하였다. 우리나라의 사회보장제도가 기회면에서 평등을 달성하기 위해서는 긍정적 차별을 강화해야 한다는 것이다. 현재의 불평등구조 시정을 위하여 모든 사람에게 사회보장제도에 의한 수혜 기회를 똑같이 제공하여 결과적으로 평등할 수 있는 조건을 만들어야 할 뿐만 아니라 나아가 사회통합, 사회정의 및 개인의 자아실현을 이루기 위해 소외된 부문에 더 우선적인 배분이 주어져야 한다는 것이다. 특히 그동안 사회보장제도에서 배제되어온 계층인 농어민과 도시 저소득층을 위한 사회보장제도가 모색되어야 한다는 것이다. 둘째, 경제적 평등에 접근하기 위하여 소득재분배를 실현해야 하는데 이를 위해 보험료 기여제도를 개선해야 한다는 것이다. 현행 국민연금과 의료보험에 있어서의 보험료 기여제도는 농촌과 도시지역의 저소득층에게 불리하게 적용되어 역진적이므로 이를 시정하여 평등을 실현하기 위한 방향으로 개선되어 나아가야 할 것이다.목차 논문개요 = Ⅵ Ⅰ. 서론 = 1 A. 문제제기 = 1 B. 연구목적 = 4 C. 연구방법 및 내용 = 4 Ⅱ. 연구의 이론적 배경 및 분석틀 = 6 A. 사회보장제도의 정의 = 6 B. 평등 = 9 1. 평등의 개념적 정의 = 9 2. 우리나라 사회보장에서 평등의 필요성 = 12 C. 연구의 분석틀 = 14 Ⅲ. 한국 사회보장제도의 불평등 구조 분석 = 20 A. 기회의 불평등 = 20 1. 적용대상 = 21 2. 접근성 = 30 3. 이용성 = 37 B. 경제적 불평등 = 43 Ⅳ. 평등주의적 사회보장제도의 모색 = 55 A. 기회의 평등을 위한 긍정적 차별의 강화 = 55 1. 농어촌지역 주민을 위한 사회보장제도 강화 = 58 2. 도시 저소득층을 위한 사회보장제도 강화 = 60 B. 소득재분배를 향한 보험료 기여제도의 개선 = 61 Ⅴ. 결론 = 63 참고문헌 = 66 ABSTRACT = 7

Profiles of Social Engagement and Their Association With Loneliness and Self-Rated Health Among Older Korean Immigrants

The purposes of this study were to (1) develop a typology of social engagement in older Korean immigrants in the United States and (2) compare the groups in the typology regarding their level of loneliness and self-rated health. Data were drawn from the Study of Older Korean Americans covering the five geographic locations (N = 2,149). Using eight criterion variables concerning the type and frequency of activities, latent profile analysis identified a six-group model as the most optimal with the following groups: diverse, active, moderately social, structured, sedentary, and restricted. When the restricted group was used as the reference, the groups that were more socially engaged were found to have lower levels of loneliness. Additionally, being a member of the active or moderately social group was associated with more favorable self-ratings of health. These findings hold implications for understanding the variability of social engagement and how it relates to health and well-being

Patterns of Time Use Across the Life Span in Korea: A Latent Class Analysis and Age and Gender Differences

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of time use and the patterns of time use across the life span using a socioemotional selectivity theory. The data used for this study were from the “Korean Time Use Survey,” which is collected every 5 years by Statistics Korea (KOSTAT). The data collected in 1999, 2004, and 2009 were used to analyze the patterns of time use using latent class analyses and to observe the differences of time use by age and gender. The results were summarized as follows: Based on the analyses of nine behavior classifications, after sleep and personal care, Korean allocated more time in daily activities to relationship and leisure time, followed by education, paid work, and household management, with the order differing between each age group and gender. Three different classes of time use were classified at each age group. Education-centered time use was revealed to be mainly in the young, paid work-centered in the middle-aged, and relationship and leisure-centered in older adults. We find significant gender differences. Men’s patterns of time did not change markedly across the 3 years, while women’s patterns have shifted. Meanwhile, in the age 65 and older group, paid work appeared alongside as well as leisure among most prominent activities, were appeared as dominant forms of time use. This phenomenon is closely related to reflecting high rates of elderly poverty in Korea. Further discussions concerning the time use by age and gender were provided and countermeasures for changing time use in later life were discussed. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

Improving the Service Delivery System for Older Adults Living Alone in Korea

The purpose of this study was to identify ways to improve the current care service delivery system for older adults living alone in the community in Korea, including service content, client eligibility, and organizations providing services. A focus group was conducted with 25 service managers across Korea (who are also social workers). These participants consisted of 14 regional service managers in regional service centers, which manage and provide supervision to local service centers, and 11 managers in local service centers, which provide direct services to older adults living alone. The results showed that both regional and local service managers experienced poor working conditions, role conflict, and ambiguity when delivering services to older adults living alone. The most challenging aspects of providing services were identified as a lack of flexibility to meet the needs of clients and inadequate eligibility criteria for client selection. Findings from this study have implications for policy and practice change to improve the current care service delivery system for older adults living alone. Future studies should include service users to identify client-centered initiatives to improve the care service delivery system. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Residential status and depression among Korean elderly people: A comparison between residents of nursing home and those based in the community

The purposes of this study were: (i) to compare the extent of depression in the nursing home and community-dwelling elderly people, and (ii) to find the variables including residential status and other related variables explaining depression in Korea. Two sets of secondary data were combined and used to achieve the objectives of this study. One data set relating to elderly people in nursing homes was from a part of 2002 Kyunggi Long-term Care System Construction Study by Kyunggi Research Institute, Kyunggi province, Korea. The other data set for community-dwelling elderly people was from a part of 2001 National Long-term Care Study by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The data set for this study included 307 elderly people living in nursing homes and 166 elderly people living in the community. Depression was measured and determined using the geriatric depression scale-short form (GDS-SF) Korean version, with scores of 8 or higher to indicate possible depression. A total of 39.3% [95% confidence interval (CI); 32.1-46.9%] of the sample in the community elderly showed symptoms of depression, higher than the rate found in the nursing home elderly (24.0%) (95% CI; 19.5-29.2%). The mean (standard deviation) GDS-SF score for the elderly in the nursing home was 6.1 (3.4), and 7.4 (4.3) for elderly in the community, the difference being statistically significant [t (275.5) = -3.33; P < 001]. As a result of multiple logistic regression analysis, residential status has appeared as an important predictor after controlling other related variables. The adjusted odds ratio of depression associated with the nursing home residents in residential status, all other factors being equal, was 3.14 (95% CI; 1.30-7.58). Community-dwelling elderly people have higher odds of depression. These findings suggest that there is a need to provide adequate health-related care services for the elderly people in the community. © 2007 The Author

The Role of Social Networks on Depressive Symptoms: A Comparison of Older Koreans in Three Geographic Areas

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of depressive symptoms among older Korean adults in three geographic locations with varying densities of the Korean population: mainland Korea (mostly Koreans), New York metropolitan area (high Korean density), and west central Florida (low Korean density). The study focused on the role of family and friend networks. Data were drawn from three sources: (1) a multistage national sample of Koreans in South Korea (n = 403); (2) a survey conducted in the western/central Florida area that used a variety of culturally sensitive sampling strategies (n = 672); and (3) a survey in the New York metropolitan area (n = 420) that replicated the Florida study. For those living in Korea, living alone and lower perceived financial status were independently associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. For the New York and Florida samples, fair or poor self-rating of health, lower levels of acculturation, and weaker ties with family were related to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Similar to the older Korean sample, lower perceived financial status was linked with greater depressive symptoms in the New York sample. The overall results suggest that it is important to consider the interplay of the social network, personal, and cultural resources when working with older adults in diverse contexts. Intervention efforts should address mental health issues tailored to cultural and social settings. © The Author(s) 2020

The longitudinal effects of grandchild care on depressive symptoms and physical health of grandmothers in South Korea: a latent growth approach

Objectives: This study examined longitudinal effects of grandmothers' patterns in caring for their grandchildren, and observed the influence of these patterns on grandmothers' depressive symptoms and self-rated health status, using latent growth curve models. Method: Four waves of the large-scale Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging data were used for this study. The total sample consisted of 1,948 female participants, who have at least one grandchild, and who were age 50-74 in 2006. The study employed the multiple-group latent growth curve using Mplus to analyze if patterns of grandchild care predicted developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms and self-rated health over time. Results: Grandmothers who stopped raising grandchildren reported more depressive symptoms over time than did grandmothers who never raised grandchildren. However, this pattern was not found in the group with income more than 60 percent of the median income in Korea, but this pattern was found in the group with income below 60 percent of the median. Conclusion: Findings from the latent growth curve modeling indicate how caring for grandchildren affected grandmothers' depressive symptoms and self-rated health status from a longitudinal perspective. Implications for future research and policies on grandchild care are discussed

Loneliness as a mediator in the relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms: Age differences among community-dwelling Korean adults

The purpose of this study was to examine whether loneliness mediates the relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms and to determine how age moderates the mediation effect. Data for this study came from the survey with community-dwelling adults aged 18 and older in South Korea, from March to April 2017. The total of 1,017 respondents were drawn from three age groups (18-44, 45-64, or 65 and older). The mediating effect of loneliness was tested between each of three social engagement-related variables (family network, friend network, and perceived community support) and depressive symptoms. The results showed age differences in mediation: the effect was most pronounced in the relationship of family network with loneliness for the older group, whereas the size of friend network significantly predicted loneliness for younger adults. Both younger and older groups felt less lonely when they had a higher level of perceived community support; the middle age group remained uninfluenced by the mediation effects. Our findings confirm that loneliness is one of the mechanisms by which social engagement exerts its effect on depressive symptoms. As the Korean society embraces its growing proportions of older adults, the results of the study provide implications for adaptive strategies for changing social engagement need and mental health associated with ageing

Developmental Trajectories and Predictors of Social Exclusion Among Older Koreans: Exploring the Multidimensional Nature of Social Exclusion

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the developmental patterns of social exclusion among older Koreans over time. In addition, we identified the significant determinants that may increase the risk of social exclusion among older Koreans. The analyses were based on the panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing and included older adults from 2008 to 2012 (N = 24,074) for the final analysis. Social exclusion was categorized into four different sub-dimensions: financial, social relational, social cultural, and emotional. The analysis was based on a semi-parametric group-based approach followed by multinomial logistic regression. The results showed considerable variations and different developmental trajectories by the social exclusion sub-dimensions among older Koreans; in particular, the results showed that being older, male, and less educated were significant indicators of social exclusion. This study adds to the limited body of literature on longitudinal studies of social exclusion among older Koreans, and the results will help develop interventions for older Koreans who are socially isolated. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V

How young and older people differ in discriminatory behaviour towards older people? An explanation of the knowledge-attitude-behaviour continuum model

This study examined the causal relationship between knowledge, attitudes and dis¬criminatory behaviour towards older people and further explored age-group differ¬ences using multi-group analysis. Data were collectedfrom 1,500 Korean adults aged 20 and older in 2011 using the multi-stage quota sampling method. Trained inves¬tigators collected data with a developed survey questionnaire in person and a struc¬tural equation modelling method was used for data analysis. Attitudes towards older people was measured using two variables: 'image of older people' and 'prejudice against older people'. The findings revealed that the younger and older generations demonstrated differences regarding the causal relationship between knowledge, atti¬tudes and discriminatory behaviour towards older people. The paths model between independent and dependent variables in the structural equation modelling was non-equivalent in younger and older groups. For both groups, knowledge about ageing and older people led to a positive influence on their image of and prejudice against older people. The effect of prejudice on discriminatory behaviour was significant in the younger group, but not in the older group. Further implications for practice and future research to reduce ageism were discussed. © Cambridge University Press 201