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The struggles of a single parent
Negative effects of single parenting
The struggles of a single parent
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Single parenthood culture seems appealing to many married people. However, married individuals are forced to battle with elements like faithfulness and life-long commitment to one individual, which may be boring in some cases. However, single parents, especially single mothers encounter serious challenges related to parenting. Single parenting is a succession of constant mental torture because of ineptness, self-scrutiny, and remorse. At some point, single parents will often encounter serious psychological problems some graduating to stress and eventual depression. Again, there are far-reaching problems that force single mothers to a set of economic or social hardships. Social hardships are evident as address in this research. Nonetheless, the study will still cover economic hardships since the two are closely related. The study will attempt to prove that single mothers are disadvantaged socially and economically. The study is segmented into two main sections; firstly, a background depicting researches in this field. Secondly, the study will present an argumentative literature attempting to clarify that single mothers do have a genuine problem not only economically, but as well socially in upbringing their children. To achieve this, the essay appoints Langston Hughes Poem ‘Mother to Son’ as a derivative reference point in developing this study. Research has traditionally focused in examining the emancipation of the female gender during their development. However, few researchers have intrinsically examined on the adult-life of single parents, more so in relation to women. The few efforts relating to this field like Williams (179) exemplifies that women suffer the greatest menace while trying support their single-parented families... ... middle of paper ... ...Huan. Women Heroin Users in China's Changing Society: An Analysis of the Careers of Women Drug Users. London: ProQuest Goldman, Marlene B, Rebecca Troisi, and Kathryn M. Rexrode. Women and Health. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, 2013. Internet resource Golombok, Susan. Parenting: What Really Counts?. London: Routledge 2014. Print. Hagood, Susan. "Rice Plus": Widows and Economic Survival in Rural Cambodia. Taylor & Francis, 2006. Print. Pattnaik, Jyotsna. Father Involvement in Young Children's Lives: A Global Analysis. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013. Internet resource. Strong, Mark E. Church for the Fatherless: A Ministry Model for Society's Most Pressing Problem. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Books, 2012. Internet resource. Williams, Reginald. The Voices of Single Parent Mothers who are Homeless in Regard to Their Parent Child Relationships. London: ProQuest: 2008. Print.
There is much debate on what constitutes as a family today. However, Ball (2002) states, “The concept of the traditional family…is not an immutable one. It is a social construct that varies from culture to culture and, over time, the definition changes within a culture” (pp. 68). There is a growing diversity of families today including the commonality of sole-parenting. In order to explore aspects of sole-parenthood objectively, I need to reflect and put aside my personal experience of growing up in sole-parent household. Furthermore, this essay will explore the historical origins, cultural aspects discussing the influences and implications of gender identity, and social structures of sole-parent families, as well as consider the implications in midwifery by applying the sociological imagination. Mills (2000/1959) describes the sociological imagination as “…a quality of mind that seems most dramatically to promise an understanding of the intimate realities of ourselves in connection with larger social realities” (pp.15). In other words, the sociological imagination involves the ability to consider the relationships between personal experiences and those within society as a whole.
This book is a study of the personal tales of many single mothers, with intentions to understand why single mothers from poor urban neighborhoods are increasingly having children out of wedlock at a young age and without promise of marrying their fathers. The authors chose to research their study in Philadelphia’s eight most devastated neighborhoods, where oppression and danger are high and substantial job opportunities are rare. They provide an excellent education against the myth that poor young urban women are having children due to a lack of education on birth control or because they intend to work the welfare system. Instead, having children is their best and perhaps only means of obtaining the purpose, validation and companionship that is otherwise difficult to find in the areas in which they live. For many of them, their child is the biggest promise they have to a better future. They also believe that though their life may not have been what they want, they want their child to have more and better opportunities and make it their life’s work to provide that.
McNamara, Robert Hartmann. "Homelessness." Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Social Issues. Ed. Michael Shally-Jensen. Vol. 3: Family and Society. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 1024-1031. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 May 2014. .
What is a single parent? Is it one who destroys their child’s life? Is it one who ultimately cannot raise a minor on their own? Or is it one who dedicates their lives to the well being of their kid? Imagine a parent, and for whatever reason they were left alone to raise a child. That parent you imagined has to work long hours just to put a meal on the table. That parent has to play the role of the mother and father. That parent has no financial support. Unfortunately, in our society, this image of a single parent is looked down upon. There are people that don’t realize how much a single parent goes through to give their child a better life.
Sometimes, when the reader reads a story or an essay, they think, “Wow that had a lot of meaning into it”. That was the same for me “In Defense of Single Motherhood”. This essay appeals to all modes of persuasion: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. The author of the essay, Katie Roiphe, is credible person. She is a notable author of several books over the past two decades. She wrote this essay in 2012 which was published in the New York Times. Roiphe emphasizes logos throughout the essay the majority of the time through the use of studies and reports, mostly to persuade the reader to her side, but she also emphasizes ethos and pathos, just not as much as logos. The audience of the argument is most readers of the New York Times to emphasize her point on single motherhood. Roiphe claims single motherhood is not bad like everyone says it is.
Children and families have various issues that must be addressed when they are in facing difficulties. The family dynamic offers multiple perceptions and needs, these may require addressing matters individually as well as on a group level. There may be matters such as domestic violence or substance abuse which requires both individual and family counseling and resources. In times of crisis families need education and coping strategies in order to regain their lives back. The necessities of the family may entail emotional and medical support requirements depending on their situation. When there is a possible case involving violence the focus may turn to more than medical and emotional support and possible removal of the children from the home may be required. Single mothers’ needs may be comprised of employment, education, shelter, food, child care and assistance with medical and child support. In some cases counseling and a support resource may be all that is required. When a divorce occurs, the needs which were once met by a two parent family now rest on the shoulders of ...
Karen Bridget Murray’s article, “Governing ‘Unwed Mothers’ in Toronto at the Turn of the Twentieth Century”, is a valuable reference into the struggles and triumphs of social welfare for unwed mothers. For me the article highlighted how government ideologies influence social welfare, how important the change from religious reformers practices to social work was and finally how appalling it is that the struggles and barriers these women faced are still relevant to single mothers today.
In today’s society, the amounts of single-parent households are increasing and this is another reason for the existence of childhood poverty. Statistics show that children living in single-parent homes are five times more likely to be poor. More people are getting divorced and are also having children outside of wedlock. It has also been said that women rather than men head about 90% of single-parent families. One of the
In the trajectory of humanity, single parenting has become a concept internationally accepted by most modern cultures. What exactly causes single parenthood? Well there are many factors in which could result in a single parent household. Death of a partner, divorce, and unintended pregnancy are just some of the causes of single parenthood. Based on this worldwide acknowledgement and understanding, single parenthood is usually aided by monetary help from the government or unions. Although financial help is available, the psychological effects a child goes through could never be fixed by any type of cash value. These psychological traumas and mental changes could affect the parent raising the child as well. Even with some financial help, single parents sometimes struggle to make ends meet. A study featured in Time magazine informed Americans that middle to lower class single parents will work 40+ hour weeks at minimum wage to provide for their child. If the parent is so busy at work, who's watching the child? Sometimes, the single parent might still have connection with their own families. Grandma and grandpa have to raise the child since the parent is hard at labor to provide for their offspring. Occasionally, some of our elderly folk do not have the competence to watch over a child. It might even be that the child is too energetic and could wear out the seniors. The child will then resort to the television, street, friends, etc to learn and grow. These influences might be negative for the child especially if they're not coming from the mother or father. An investigation of single parenting leads to the affirmation that raising a child by yourself is very difficult and must be approached very leniently and effectively.
Women nowadays are becoming mothers at an early age and often have to the raise the child on their own. Due to this hardship, they must improvise when it comes to adjusting to the change of now raising a child and their parenting skills. They must manage their personal goals while trying to provide a stable structure for their child. Many times they fall short due to their lack of resources and stress. Regardless of their romantic relationship status, it often falls on the mother to raise the child. Even though it is important for both parents to be present in a child’s life, if a parent is participating in deviant behavior, then sometimes it is best for the child to be raised by one parent.
“ The Disadvantages of Single Parenting”. All- About- Motherhood. n.p. n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2011.
The Family structure has changed significantly in the last fifty years. With higher percentages of marriage ending in divorce, and higher rates of childbearing out of wedlock, single parent families are increasing rapidly. “Seventy percent of all the children will spend all or part of their lives in a single-parent household.” (Dowd) Studies have shown that the children of these families are affected dramatically, both negatively and positively. Women head the majority of single- parent families and as a result, children experience many social problems from growing up without a father. Some of these problems include lack of financial support, and various emotional problems by not having a father around, which may contribute to problems later in life. At the same time, children of single-parent homes become more independent because they learn to take care of themselves, and rely on others to do things for them.
Even though the Census Bureau shown that single parent families are increase every year I did not want to be a static of not providing for my family but just another public assist person.
Single Parent Struggle For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today’s society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both a mother and a father.
Over the summer my friend and I decided to join the Coalition for Homeless Women. I learned a lot while visiting the numerous women shelters and I can admit that I too had very stupid and naïve perceptions of some of these women. Even though I was not as “rotten” as some of the girls I attended school with, my parents sheltered me. I will always remember walking down the street one day and as I passed by a homeless woman I handed her my dollar. My father immediately looked at me funny and said “Sonia, you shouldn’t have given her your allowance, she will only use it to buy drugs or alcohol. She will not use it for anything good!” At the age of ten those words resonated in my head for some time. My perception of homeless people was somewhat flawed until I was old enough to understand the world for myself. I was really happy when I visited shelters and spoke to some of these remarkable women. They weren’t on drugs, they weren’t alcoholics, and these are wo...