손자녀를 돌보는 조모의 심리적 복지감에 대한 사회관계망의 효과

The Effects of Social Networks on the Psychological Well-Being of Grandmothers Raising Their Grandchildren

The purpose of this study is to explore, first, which factors influence the rearing of grandchildrenand then, second, how the social networks of grandmothers impact their psychological well-being. Drawn from the fourth wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) , 3,289 womenabove the age of 51 with one or more grandchildren were selected for this study. The findings areas follows; first, the support of family members is the strongest factor influencing the psychologicalwell-being of grandmothers raising their grandchildren. Raising their grandchildren may be aburden on their daily lives, but support from their family members reduces the stressors ofchildrearing. Second, focusing on social networks as a resource is important to increase thepsychological well-being of grandmothers. It implies that intangible resources such as trust andintimacy strengthened by informal meetings and friendships can be important factors determiningthe quality of later life. Lastly, childrearing by grandmothers should be supported at a social policylevel. Furthermore, informal childcare by family members or relatives would continue even with theincrease of public daycare centers and monetary support for grandmothers raising theirgrandchildren. These findings imply that the attempt to improve the quality of life for grandmothersraising their grandchildren acts as an agent in creating well-being derived from voluntaryintentions, and not just passive beneficiary of policy.