The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the experience of raising a child as a single mother. To do this, nine participants living in Seoul were selected and interviewed between December 2018 and March 2019. The semi–structured q...
The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the experience of raising a child as a single mother. To do this, nine participants living in Seoul were selected and interviewed between December 2018 and March 2019. The semi–structured questionnaire was used to conduct an in-depth interview. In this
study, data were qualitatively analyzed and classified through within-case and cross-case analyses. As a result of cross-case analysis, 6 core themes, 12 upper categories, and 25 subcategories were generated. The 12 upper categories were: starting from before a divorce, need help to maintain a work-life balance, obstacles to maintaining a work-life balance, child support expenses do not cover everything, my mother wears a mask, “It’s over,” caring for parents and children, reasons for private education, burdens of private education, no social concern for single-parent families, attitudes toward single-parent families, and overcoming difficulties. The six main themes were: role as a bread-winner, relationships with ex-husbands, double roles and responsibilities, deep concern for children’s education, stigma and discrimination, “I’m not alone.”Based on the results of this study, the practical and political suggestions for social welfare to support single mothers and their children were widely discussed.