The Development and Effect of a Group Counseling Program for Unemployed Matriarchs

Lee, Jeong Ji; Shin, Kyung Il; Choi, Soon Ock; Kim, Sook Nam; Lee, Boo Hyeon

Abstract

This study was designed to develop a program for unemployed matriarchs and show if the program affected their view on the meaning in life. The subjects were women registered in an occupational training program for unemployed matriarchs, which is being practiced in the 'Working Women Center' located in Busan. The researchers selected 44 persons from the group who agreed to our program. This study was done from the 10th of March, 1999 to the 9th of October. The researchers used the measurement tools, The Purpose in Life, Self-esteem, Hope and Meaning in Life which was composed of 63 items developed by them. Their Cronbach's alpha were .88, .79, .76 and .95. The researchers analyzed the data with frequency, percentage, Mean, S.D, Wilcoxon signed ranks test which were deduced from SPSS 10.0 WIN program. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The program is composed of 'becoming intimate', 'open-minded', 'exploration on self', 'relax of repressed emotion', 'self- acceptance', 'establishing the life-goal', 'enrichment of human relationship' and closing. It took 20 hours for this program to come into practice. 2) According to the analysis of the general traits of all subjects, average age was 39.36. High school graduates were 86%, college graduates were 14% and divorce were 57%, bereavement were 18%, and the rest were 25%. 3) The result of 1st progam showed self-esteem during the program was high. 4) The result of 2nd progam showed self-esteem during the program was high. 5) The result of 3rd progam showed the sum scores of meaning in life, creative meaning, and attitudinal meaning during the program was high. 6) The result of 4th progam showed the sum scores of meaning in life and creative meaning during the program was high. On the viewpoint of above results, we convinced that 'a program for unemployed matriarch is effective to establish a stronger meaning in life. Therefore, it is demanded that support for unemployed matriarchs should not only be economic help such as technical training and help of living expenses, but also psychological, professional and systematic support.