Single Parenting In The United States

In a traditional family, a mother and father live in the same home raising their children together. In the United the States, modern families are deviating from these traditional views. In particular, single parent households are becoming more prevalent. Since the 1970s, the percentage of single parent families has steadily increased. One in three families with children under the age of eighteen consisted of only one parent in 2013. The increasing rate of single parenting raised public concern and is recognized as a social problem. Consequently, sociologists study the rising trend of single parenting and the many social problems that contribute to its growth. The number of single parent families is increasing because of the growing number of

divorces, poverty, and racial discrimination.
High divorce rates are perhaps the largest contributor to the increase in single parent families.

In the United States fifty percent of marriages end in divorce within twenty years. The recent increase in the number of divorces issued in the United States is partially due to the fact that divorces are now easier to obtain. Policies like the no-fault divorce policy make it easier for couples to end marriages in divorce. Before the passing of such policies, a divorce was only granted if one partner admitted to being at fault for the deterioration of the marriage. Unsurprisingly, as more couples seek to end their marriage in divorce, the number of single parents also increases as one parent receives custody of the children.
Furthermore, poverty is a serious issue for single parent families, especially for families lead by a mother. Single mothers often struggle to provide for their families from a single income. Therefore, in some divorce cases the non-custodial parent is required to pay child support. However, only 57 percent of single parents actually receive child support. Moreover, this is a prevalent problem in African-American families because 47 percent of African American families lead by a single mother live in

poverty.
A significant number of people consider the rising trend of single mothers in African American populations to be a significant problem. The Moynhian Report brought attention to this issue in 1965. Consequently, more stereotypes were created as the rate of single mothers among African Americans continued to increase. African American women are portrayed as mothers who live off of government assistance. This belief however is untrue. The increasing trend of single mothers in African American families is supported by discrimination in jobs, housing, and education. Discrimination prevents single mothers from obtaining the skills necessary to have a better quality of life. In order to combat the affects of poverty, African American families build strong family bonds that contain multiple generations for support.
Conservatives believe that family, particularly the traditional family, is the foundation for a healthy society. They consider the high divorce rates and increasing trend of single parenting to be detrimental to the function of society and a major social problem. In contrast, liberals are more accepting of single parents and the nontraditional family. They believe it is good to have family diversity and do not necessarily see divorce as problem. Similarly to the viewpoint of liberals, I do not consider single parenting to be a social problem. However, I do believe that the fact that single mothers have a higher chance of living in poverty is a significant problem. Discrimination in the work force prevents women from obtaining higher paying jobs and equal pay as men. This issue proves that gender inequality is still a problem and negatively impacts single mothers.
In conclusion, since the 1970s, the percentage of single parent families continues to increases. The number of single parent families is increasing because of the growing number of divorces, poverty, and racial discrimination. Poverty is a serious issue for single parent families, especially for families lead by a mother. Discrimination prevents single mothers from obtaining the skills necessary to provide a better quality of life for their children. I agree with the liberal view that single parenting is not a social problem. However, I do believe that social changes need to be made to ensure that single mothers are able to provide for their families.