Family Policy in South Korea: Development, Current Status, and Challenges

We provide a comprehensive review of family policy in South Korea (Korea hereafter) for international readers. Alarmed by recent social and demographic changes, the Korean government has started to establish explicit family policies from the mid 2000s. These policies have signified a symbolic attention shift to family matters in the history of social policy in Korea. In this paper, we focus on three areas of family policy: (a) work-family policies, (b) a healthy family policy, and (c) a policy for multi-cultural families. Work-family policies aim to help working families with young children balance work responsibilities and family caregiving through multiple leave options and child care support. The Framework Act on Healthy Families, the first explicit family policy in Korea, requires local governments to provide family services through Healthy Family Support Centers. The Multi-Cultural Family Support Act also established a formal support system for multi-cultural families with immigrant spouses, a population group that has recently increased in Korea. We further discuss the domestic and comparative contexts of Korean family policy and provide suggestions for the remaining challenges.     

Publication Ethics in Biomedical Journals from Countries in Central and Eastern Europe

Publication ethics is an important aspect of both the research and publication enterprises. It is particularly important in the field of biomedical science because published data may directly affect human health. In this article, we examine publication ethics policies in biomedical journals published in Central and Eastern Europe. We were interested in possible differences between East European countries that are members of the European Union (Eastern EU) and South-East European countries (South-East Europe) that are not members of the European Union. The most common ethical issues addressed by all journals in the region were redundant publication, peer review process, and copyright or licensing details. Image manipulation, editors’ conflicts of interest and registration of clinical trials were the least common ethical policies. Three aspects were significantly more common in journals published outside the EU: statements on the endorsement of international editorial standards, contributorship policy, and image manipulation. On the other hand, copyright or licensing information were more prevalent in journals published in the Eastern EU. The existence of significant differences among biomedical journals’ ethical policies calls for further research and active measures to harmonize policies across journals.     

Do Father-Friendly Policies Promote Father-Friendly Child-Rearing Practices? A Review of Swedish Parental Leave and Child Health Centers

By reviewing the literature, we looked at how parental leave policies in Sweden have influenced two well-defined areas of early father involvement: participating in parental leave and at visits/activities at the Child Health Centers. Sweden has one of the most comprehensive and egalitarian parental leave policies in the world, permitting parents to take 480 days off of work, receive 80% of their pay for the first 15 months, and divide their leave however they see fit, barring that both parents receive 2 months of parental leave that is exclusive to them. Additionally, fathers are permitted to take the first ten working days off to be at home with his family. Most parents, especially mothers, use parental leave throughout their infant’s first year. During the parents’ time off from work, nearly all Swedish parents (95–99%) utilize the Child Health Centers between 11 and 13 times during the infant’s first year of life. The Child Health Centers help to monitor a child’s growth and development, provide parenting support, immunizations, health education, health screenings, and provide referral sources if the child has any special needs. However, fathers only use 22% of all parental leave days. Studies have pointed out that fathers may not use parental leave because of corporate, maternal, and financial attitudes. Despite the Child Health Centers’ policy of including both parents, fathers do not utilize the Child Health Centers to the same extent as mothers. Research has shown that fathers may not use Child Health Centers as they are mainly only open during normal working hours, they are dominated by females (staff and mothers), and many conversations during the child’s first year are directed towards mothers. Barriers for why father involvement is lower than mothers are discussed.     

Connections between Family Centered Care and Medical Homes of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Experiences of Diverse Families

Cultural issues tied to race/ethnicity are important aspects in delivering medical home services to children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. To better understand family satisfaction with family centered care (FCC) in medical homes of children with disabilities, this study investigated whether family race/ethnicity, in addition to parent and child characteristics, significantly influenced family perceptions of FCC in three areas: family-provider partnership, care setting practices and policies, and community coordination and follow-up. Based on the life course theory for optimizing children's developmental trajectories, examining connections between family race/ethnicity and satisfaction with health care allows for identification of strengths and weaknesses in medical home services delivery, and offers opportunities for family support and improvement in outcomes for children with disabilities. This study developed an original empirical survey using a structured questionnaire developed by Family Voices, a national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of children with disabilities and their families. The study collected data for 122 families in a large urban area in the northeastern United States. Multivariate analyses revealed that family race/ethnicity significantly contributed to the prediction of parental satisfaction with medical homes of children with disabilities, and to families' perceptions of FCC in care setting practices and policies, and community coordination and followup, but not to family provider partnership. Non-White families reported significantly lower satisfaction. Discussion emphasizes that health care providers need to become more vigilant in providing culturally sensitive care. To enhance FCC practices and policies, the study advances a checklist of ten essential areas that promote culturally sensitive interactions between families of children with disabilities and their medical and non-medical health care providers.     

“Who Cares for the Children?” Lessons from a Global Perspective of Child Care Policy

We present the argument that the meaning of child care and the policies that address it are explicitly linked with national ideologies, work force participation, economic success, and child outcomes. The relationship between family and child care policies is cyclical in nature, with a nation’s ideology and vision of family often driving child care policies, while child care policies in turn drive and support a nation’s ideology. We examine the interrelatedness of child care policy and national ideologies of family in selected industrialized countries. Specifically, this paper first defines child care policy and discusses the national ideological frameworks that provide the impetus for child care policy formation and implementation. Second, the paper explores current child care policies and their connection to the historical and political context of several countries within, including France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, the Nordic countries, and the United States. Lastly, recommendations are offered for the future of child care policy development with specific recommendations for child care policy development in the United States.     

Implementing family‐friendly employment practices in banking industry: Evidences from some African and Asian countries

We examined the effects of family‐friendly policies (child‐care benefits and work flexibility benefits) on organizational commitment and work–family conflict in four developing countries: China, India, Kenya, and Thailand. We also explored the boundary condition (e.g., perceived importance of family‐friendly programmes) under which family‐friendly policies are more (or less) effective in influencing organizational commitment and reducing work–family conflict. Results revealed national similarities on the effect of flexibility benefits on organizational commitment and work–family conflict. Specifically, we found that across the four countries work flexibility‐related family‐friendly policy was positively related to organizational commitment and negatively to perceived work–family conflict among those who perceived this policy as more important than less important. Instead, national variations are found in the results regarding child‐care benefits. Among these four countries, Kenya and Thailand are two countries in which child‐care‐related family‐friendly policies showed a significant and positive relationship with organizational commitment and/or a significant and negative relationship with work–family conflict. We also found child‐care‐related family‐friendly policies had differential effect among people with various perception of policy importance in Kenya and Thailand, but not in China and India. Particularly, child‐care‐related family‐friendly policy results in greater organizational commitment and lower work–family conflict among those who perceived this policy as more important than less important in Kenya and Thailand. Implications for cross‐cultural research, theory and practice are discussed.     

Family Policy Initiatives in Latin America: The Case of Colombia and Ecuador

Family policy initiatives in Colombia and Ecuador have targeted primarily families living in poverty. This paper discusses some of the major policy initiatives oriented to improve the living conditions of economically disadvantaged families in both countries. We argue that, even though governments recognize the importance of family policies, existing policies and programs for families living in poverty do not directly focus on family issues. They represent more implicit than explicit family policies. We analyze some of the issues that may hinder the development, implementation, and evaluation of family policies in Colombia and Ecuador. Such issues stem from political and economic instability, legislation, changing family demographics, as well as coordination among agencies that develop, implement, and evaluate policies. We discuss challenges related to family policies in both countries and recommendations to improve existing policy initiatives.     

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

This article reviews policy issues involved in maternity leave or parental leave. Findings from the Wisconsin Maternity Leave and Health Project, a longitudinal interview study of 570 women and 550 of their husbands/partners, are discussed, focusing especially on the issues of maternity leave and women's mental health, and fathers' patterns of taking parental leave. I stress the importance of empirical research if feminist psychologists are to have an impact on public policy.     

Family economic pressure and adolescent suicidal ideation: application of the family stress model

This study used a sample of 501 families from the Mississippi Delta region to examine the feasibility of the Family Stress Model for understanding adolescent suicidal ideation. The results indicated that family economic pressure was related to parental depressive symptoms, which, in turn, was related to parental hostile behavior and physical abuse. These parental behaviors were related to adolescent self-esteem and depressive symptoms, which, in turn, were related to adolescent suicidal ideation. Therefore, family economic pressure and parental depressive symptoms and behaviors were indirectly related to adolescent suicidal ideation. The results indicate the applicability of the Family Stress Model for understanding adolescent suicidal ideation.     

Review of Explicit Family Policies in Turkey from a Systemic Perspective

In the last decade, Turkey has been going through rapid and extensive change in policies, laws and regulations. Most has stirred substantial public debate. Although the constitution Article 41 openly states the importance of government’s role in regulating family life, very limited explicit debate around family policy issues are evident. We discuss current day direct family policies and evaluate the status of these policies from a systemic perspective. In so doing, we review the current Turkish Civil Code as well as the Law on the Protection of the Family, the relevant parts of the labor law and the healthcare policy.     

Not so far from home: How family characteristics predict child care quality

This study examined the relationship between family background and child care quality for 636 children enrolled in 120 day care centres in three states in the US with widely varying regulations for child care centre quality. Family characteristics accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in day care quality. Mother' attitudes towards child-rearing and parent' education were the most potent family-level predictors of quality. State child care policy variables were also strong predictors of quality. Findings also suggest that the influence of environment on children's development cannot be partitioned simply into family and out-of-home child care effects; rather, the child care environment is an extension of the family environment, with parents determining characteristics of both.     

WHO APPRECIATES FAMILY-RESPONSIVE HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES: THE IMPACT OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY POLICIES ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL ATTACHMENT OF PARENTS AND NON-PARENTS

The 1991 General Social Survey of 745 randomly selected workers in the United States assessed the impact of family-responsive human resource policies, such as parental leave, flexible schedules, and child care assistance on organizational attachment. Employees who had access to family-responsive policies showed significantly greater organizational committment and expressed significantly lower intention to quit their jobs. Additionally, child care information referral had a greater impact on affective commitment among employees eligible for that benefit. The data supported the theory that offering assistance to employees in need symbolizes concern for employees and positively influences attachment to the organization. The contrasting theoretical explanation–that people are more attached to companies when they individually benefit from progressive human resource policies–received considerably less support. The practical implication of the study for human resource management professionals is that providing comprehensive family-friendly policies may have a positive impact beyond the individual employees who tap these benefits.     

MFT Program Policies on Referral of LGBT Clients

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine program policies that govern whether or not student therapists can refer lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer clients, based on the therapist’s religious beliefs. We conducted a qualitative survey with program directors of Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education—accredited marriage and family therapy programs to ask what policies monitor client referrals that are solely based on the therapist’s beliefs toward sexual orientation and gender identity. Implications revolve around finding congruency between the program’s philosophy, policy, expectations for students, and ethics. We provide recommendations for addressing these issues early on in the recruitment process.     

An Overview of Primary Care Family Psychology

This paper describes the application of family psychology to the primary care setting—in service, education and training, and scholarship. Primary care family psychology integrates family systems with biopsychosocial theory, yielding an approach that is uniquely suited to the generalist demands of primary care. This approach attends especially to the effects of relationships on health and healthcare, using the family as a potential resource to the patient just as the healthcare team is a resource to the clinician. Training opportunities in primary care family psychology are growing. The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry fellowship is described as an example, with core primary care family psychology training in four different clinical sites: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics/Gynecology. Susan H. McDaniel is Professor of Psychiatry & Family Medicine, Director of Family Programs & the Wynne Center for Family Research in Psychiatry, and Associate Chair of Family Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York. Dr McDaniel also directs the Primary Care Family Psychology Fellowship. Picter LeRoux is Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics, and Director of the Family Therapy Training Program in Psychiatry, University of Rochester School Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York. Dr. LeRoux also heads the Pediatric Track of the Primary Care Family Psychology Fellowship.     

Systemic training for healthcare professionals: the Chicago Center For Family Health approach

There has been increasing interest in family-centered, collaborative, biopsychosocial models of care by health and mental health professionals and consumers. This trend has led to growing demand and development of specialized training in family systems approaches to health care. This article describes the Families, Illness, and Collaborative Healthcare programs developed at the University of Chicago affiliate, the Chicago Center for Family Health. The program philosophy is guided by the following principles: a systems orientation focused on the family, a Family Systems Illness Model, a family resilience framework, a family-centered collaborative model of health care, and a social justice and advocacy orientation. Specific training components that implement these principles are described, including intensive certificate and fellowships; workshops, conferences, and institutes; and consultation and training services for community-based organizations. Discussion includes professional networking opportunities, funding challenges, and policy recommendations.     

Les bases du développement de la psychologie communautaire en Europe

Community psychology was born in the USA during the sixties, in a context of poverty, social reforms and deinstitutionalisation. In Europe, because of government policies (dictatorships in Spain, Portugal…) and the orientation of Psychology Institutes, community psychology developed lately. On the other hand, there has been for a long time experiments of alternative care to the hospitalization which are based on the same principles (the experiment of Basaglia in Italy, the district policy in France…). Since the eighties, there are also much more courses in European universities. Finally, the creation of the European Network Community Psychology (ENCP) in 2005 illustrates the expansion of community psychology in Europe. In this article, we will reexamine the various medical and social policies in Italy, in France, in the United Kingdom, and in the other countries of Europe which supported the establishment of Community Psychology.     

The Impact of Family-Friendly Practices on Work–Family Balance in Spain

Not being able to combine work with family properly is negatively related to employees’ quality of life. Some firms are aware of this reality and provide their employees family-friendly practices, a set of practices designed to enable employees a work–family balance. Family-friendly practices are classified in three subsets: family support practices, flexible arrangement practices, and parental leave practices. Then, this paper analyzes the impact of different subsets of family-friendly practices on work–family balance for women and men subsamples, as well as to disentangle the mechanisms through with such effects occur. Based on a representative sample of 8,061 Spanish workers and using the Baron and Kenny procedure to test for mediation, the results show that the three subsets of family-friendly practices increase work–family balance for both genders, although some of them have different effects for women and men. In line with societal gender role expectation, family support practices better accommodate men’s need, increasing work–family balance almost for them, and parental leave practices women’s need, increasing work–family balance more for them. However, flexible arrangement practices increase work–family balance equally for both genders. Moreover, in all cases, the effect of family-friendly practices on work–family balance goes beyond the effect of time outside work and time at work, then this partial mediation indicates that time is an important mechanism in achieving work–family balance. In sum, offering employees family-friendly practices is a good starting point in order to increase people’s quality of life by helping them achieve work–family balance.     

Taking the Bull by the Horns: A Family Therapy Case of an East Indian Adolescent Substance Abuser

The cultural clash between traditional East Indian cultural values and US values often leads to parent–child conflicts, which increases East Indian adolescents’ risk for substance abuse. This is demonstrated in theory and through a case presentation of an East Indian adolescent substance abuser who was treated through an approach that coincided with the core principles of multi-dimensional family therapy. Family therapy interventions that coincided with East Indian cultural values were generally effective and resulted in decreased parental substance abuse, decreased family conflict, and improved parenting skills. Family therapy interventions that conflicted with East Indian cultural values were not effective. Further study is needed to ascertain the extent of parental and adolescent substance abuse in East Indian immigrant families and the effectiveness of a multi-dimensional family therapeutic approach to treatment.