This study started from a question that what welfare system means for a needy female householder. Lots of benefit plans currently being conducted aim to escape from poverty first. And with the purpose, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related Mi... This study started from a question that what welfare system means for a needy female householder. Lots of benefit plans currently being conducted aim to escape from poverty first. And with the purpose, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related Ministries make welfare-related policies with the expectation that people can escape from their poverty by using the system for a certain period. When the welfare program user fails to escape from poverty, the user is regarded as just dependant or disabled. The conventional notion that staying in poverty despite using benefit plans is the user’s individual responsibility let the needy individual’s behavior restriction formed in the relationships with the welfare system invisible. From the critical view, the study focused on needy female householder’s behavior selection and regulation formed in the relationships with the welfare system, which is connected to the critical view that existing discussion on needy female householder’s poverty exit did not handle poverty policy based on the system, by focusing on the family-centered on the one hand, and the labor market-centered on the other hand. Based on the critical view, the study selected one research participant who is a householder of single parent family named Youngmi (assumed name). She is in the 40’s and divorced with three children. The study conducted In-depth interviews and analysis using Ethnography. First, for Child-Care, she used Child Care Subsidy Program, Day-Care Program, Community Child Center, Sportsvoucher and After-school Voucher Program. The programs played a considerable role and offered her children learning opportunity with no educational expenditure. But, the application period for Sportsvoucher Program was too short to be benefited, and Community Child Center has no class for high school students. Her eldest child in high school had to attend the class for middle school students. Second, for Housing, she used Single-Mother Family Shelter called Mojawon, Deposit-based Rental Housing Program, and Housing Lease Deposit Loan. Mojawon was a turning point in her life with benefits, but unfortunately it did not allow extension of the lease. She had to give up Deposit-based Rental Housing Program because the application was irregular and difficult to find a suitable house for the required conditions. But the loan ( 12M Won) through Housing Lease Deposit Loan helped her move into a rental apartment. Thus, the program was evaluated as good with financial aid and recognition as affordable. Third, Income, Self-support, and Banking, she utilized National Basic Livelihood Security Act, Bankruptcy Exemption System, Self-Support Program, and Employment Support Package. The National Basic Livelihood Security Act let her be eligible to get various benefits, but feel shame and sense of stigma as well. In addition, to obtain the eligibility, there required many application forms and complex works, with psychological discomfort related to her ‘ex-husband’ obligation. Bankruptcy Exemption Program was good in that it wrote off the debt as much as her 50 Million Won, but required attorney’s fee and complex works. The Self-Support Program was right workplace to raise children, and the self-support subsidy was helpful with the income from a regular workplace. But unfortunately, the service was not recognized as career regardless of the period in which she worked and the period was limited to three years, finally to be an unstable job. The Employment Support Package let her get vocational education with no charge, and she was paid the allowance of the training. Under the unemployment crisis, there was limitation for trainees to find a job themselves with lack of information. Lastly, for Self-presentation, she utilized National Scholarship and Life-long Learning System. Two systems allowed her to learn what she wanted, and she evaluated them helpful. Based on the result, the study got conclusion on how the programs she experienced are connected to her life. Various benefit programs played a positive role for her child-care, housing, income, and self-presentation. Without the benefit programs, she might be lost in despair or make an extreme choice. On the other hand, the welfare system itself was regarded as a barrier. In fact, the strict eligibility standards and limited application period restricted her need and desire and regulated her behavior. The system was giant power itself for a needy individual enough not to counter. She had to go through complex procedures to step into the system, and the procedures were one-sided and even violent. Even the applicants are evaluated as inferior and incapable or belonged to such a group. She experienced direct such institutional violence, but could not resist against and accepted that, instead. She might think that it would be more miserable to reject the benefits, staying in poverty. She made a decision to get divorced from her irresponsible husband and stand alone. As a needy female householder, she tried to support her family, working in the labor market, parenting children. But all the job she could get was only ‘caring labor’ with lower income not enough to support her children. Finally, she combined her job with the welfare system. Asking the Government for help was more comfortable and wiser for her than doing her husband or family. She selected the public assistance because of the dual welfare system described as social insurance for males and public assistance for females. It is significant that the research proved that the conventional notion in existing discussion on poverty is false, and suggested the need to change existing views that it is possible to solve poverty problems with the welfare system like a cure-all. In addition, it is meaningful the study tried multilateral approaches to the welfare system not explained with an existing fragmentary system evaluation, by focusing on female position as the benefit user and analysing the daily life using Ethnography. Based on the analysis result, the study suggests that there need to 1) amend the institutional standards of poverty eligibility, 2) convert to universalistic welfare system, 3) design the popularity of gender egalitarianism and gender perspective system, and 4) operate user-friendly benefit plans.
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