Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of unmarried mothers with institutional living experiences in terms of adaptation and self-reliance in the community, as well as the factors that promote and hinder self-reliance. Methods: Data were collected through one-on-one in-depth interviews with six unmarried mothers who lived in unmarried mother-child family welfare facilities before and after childbirth and then moved to the community after leaving the facilities. Based on the collected data, a qualitative case study was conducted using Yin's method of analysis. Results: The results derived five units of analysis and eleven categories. The eleven categories were as follows: ‘The last space I relied on,’ ‘Preparing for self-reliance by adapting to community life’, ‘Choices of your own life,’ ‘Consideration of the environment for raising children,’ ‘Strengthening human capital,’ ‘Self-restraint to secure self-reliance fund,’ ‘Building a support system within a homogeneous group,’ ‘Policy and social service support,’ ‘Planning a future with your child,’ ‘Exterior and disconnection,’ and ‘Dilemma between non-national support recipients and national support recipients.’ Conclusion: Based on the results, we discuss the need for social welfare policies that consider changes in the characteristics of unmarried mothers, social service support, ways to improve social relationships, and the development of self-reliance programs.

본 연구는 비혼모의 출산과 양육 경험을 주제로 수행한 질적메타종합 연구이다. 연구 목적은 비혼모들의 복지와 삶의 질 제고를 위한 새로운 실천 아젠다를 발굴하기 위한 것이다. 연구자들은 CASP를 활용하여 질 적 연구물 12편을 선정하였다. 최종 선정된 질적 연구물은 EAVS(2001) 에 의해 제기된 근거이론 종합방법에 따라 분석을 실시하였다. 그 결과, 126개의 하위주제, 45개의 중심주제, 15개의 핵심주제가 도출되었다. 비 혼모의 출산, 양육 경험은 ‘자기 몫을 박탈당한 숨어있는 존재의 비혼모 가 연대와 자기 임파워먼트를 통해 가족의 삶을 구축하는 과정’이라고 할 수 있다. 이와 같은 연구결과에 근거하여 몫 없는 존재 유보와 심리 적 유폐, 사회적 연대, 경제적 자립, 자기존재의 성숙에 대한 논의를 했 으며 비혼모를 지원할 수 있는 제언을 하였다.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of ‘becoming a mother’, regarding juvenile unmarried mothers in shelter facilities. Methods: Data were collected by in-depth interviews with seven juvenile, unmarried mothers being under 24 years of age, and raising their children. The data were analyzed by using Qualitative Content Analysis. Results: Five categories resulted from the experiences of ‘becoming a mother’. They were identified as: ‘Pregnancy’, ‘Raising the Child’, ‘Living in a Shelter Facility’, ‘Living as an Unmarried Mother’, and finally ‘Preparing for the Future’. Conclusion: The shelter facility was perceived as a safe place for raising children by juvenile unmarried mothers, who had chosen to give birth and raise children after being abandoned by their families. However, they felt that living in the shelter was a stigma and simultaneously they should think that they ought to leave the place in the near future. In truth, their real life was grimmer than their thought. In this respect, policies should be changed to support them to raise children and be prepared to live with their children. Without any sense of stigma or discrimination as juvenile unmarried mothers, policies should support that they could live together in out community.