2019, Vol.15, No.1

Crisisonomy 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.64

pISSN : 2466-1198 / eISSN : 2466-1201
https://journal.kci.go.kr/cemtp

The purpose of this study was to explore in depth the experience of the families of Sewol Ferry disaster victims in using social work disaster services. The network of 10 welfare centers called “Woori Hamkae” is a representative social welfare organization that has been supporting victims’ families in the Ansan area after the sinking of the Sewol Ferry. An in-depth interview was conducted at their secretariat with a total of 10 recommended family members of Sewol Ferry victims including six parents and four siblings in order to examine their experience in services offered by “Woori Hamkae”. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to identify three themes and seven subthemes. The three identified themes include “the collapse of daily life, a broken heart and a closed mind”, “being respected as the agency of recovery”, and “self-help and recovery”. On the basis of the results of this study, some practical policy recommendations were proposed on how social work should be practiced in disaster situations.

This study attempted to identify the level of ethical awareness and decision-making among healthcare providers (HCPs) in response to pandemic influenza. The data from 227 HCPs working at five hospitals in Seoul and suburbs were analyzed. During the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2015, 31.3% of them had experiences in “active surveillance” or “home-isolation”; 18.9% provided direct care for MERS-CoV patients; and 31.1% of whose parents experienced “refusal” from their children’s kindergarten or school. They were aware of their rights to receive accurate information and to be protected by their hospitals, while there was a significant difference in the level of ethical decision-making across hospitals. In conclusion, HCPs were sensitive to ethical issues related to pandemic influenza, and were faithful to four principles of ethical decision-making. As a further study, developing a tool for measuring ethical aspects of HCPs and ethical guidelines in response to pandemic influenza are recommended

The purpose of this article is to examine the impacts of the U.S. financial crisis on the Obama Administration’s foreign policy towards China. When faced with limited resources to conduct a sustained rivalry with China, the Obama administration embraced “smart power” as a foundation of foreign policy to achieve policy goals. The U.S. and China cooperated on various issues, including maintenance of stable international system, counterterrorism, and global warming. Although the tight currency management and vigorous diplomatic engagement by China caused a serious rupture with the U.S. occasionally, both countries tried to avoid further conflicts. The Obama administration’s “smart power” policy toward China was an effective mechanism to reduce conflicts and promote cooperation between the two countries.