At the core of every marriage is family, family structure, and family values. These values are passed down from generation to generation. However in recent years the standard North American family has shifted. One of the most striking changes in family structure over the last twenty years has been the increase in single-parent families. With the increase in children being born out of marriage, teen parenting, and other social dilemmas, more children are being raised in single parent household. Single mothers are prevalent in minority groups, especially in the African American community. The African American youth has a stigma of high cases of teen pregnancy, high cases of sexually transmitted diseases, and are more likely to participate in risky behavior when compared to their White counterparts. Studies have shown that children born into single parent households tend to live less healthy lives, participate in risky behavior, and demonstrate behavior problems in the class room. In the article “Single Mothers’ Self- Efficacy, Parenting in the Home Environment…” by Aurora Jackson and Richard Scheines, is a two wave study were researchers interviewed 178 single black mothers and their young children. The study is meant to examine the links between low wage income mothers and their self-efficiency and how that self- efficiency is linked to other psychological wellbeing, parenting styles, and the quality of their parenting styles. The authors argue that depression and other mental and emotional problems that children face are directly linked with the non-residential father and the work load that the mother takes on because of the lack financial support are less likely to be in the household as well. Equally the researchers argue that ... ... middle of paper ... ... young girls have with the staff. Equally as important young men tend to rebel more and be more aggressive. In turn this adds extra stress on the mother which affects her work and her ability to be a good and effective parent. Works Cited Jackson Aurora P, & Scheines Richard. (2005). Single mothers' self-efficacy, parenting in the home environment, and children's development in a two-wave study. Social Work Research, 29(1), 7-7 Kincaid, C., Jones, D., Cuellar, J., & Gonzalez, M. (2011). Psychological control associated with youth adjustment and risky behavior in african american single mother families. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 20(1), 102-110. doi:10.1007/s10826-010-9383-6 Heidi Denler Christopher Wolters Maria Benzon. (Jul 12, 2013). Social cognitive theory. Retrieved 12/5, 2013, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-cognitive-theory/
Jackson, A. P., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). Single Mothers in Low-Wage Jobs: Financial Strain, Parenting, LLLLLLLand Preschoolers' Outcomes. Child Development, 71(5), 1409.
Compared to women 20-21 children born to this age group live in environments that lack stimulation with minimal support; experience cognitive development delays and have trouble academically; are maltreated; live in poverty and receive welfare assistance; often become teen parents themselves; exhibit more behavioral problems and have higher rates of incarceration. Parenting teens, especially those 15-17 years of age, opposed to non-parenting teens typically drop out of high school and experience parental related stress that are common indicators of maternal depression (Huang, Costeines, Kaufman & Ayala, 2014). Teen birth rates are higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic blacks, with 52 % of Hispanic teens...
This research paper will explore primarily the impact of African American single-parent households on the children that live in these environments. This is a very important issue and more awareness is needed. Research has provided evidence that single-parent households are one of many risk factors that can negatively affect a child’s educational outcome, emotional health and social behavior. Although not all single-parent family households have disadvantages, the focus of his study is to shed more light on the issues and offer solutions. For example, more policies are needed to reinforce fathers to pay child support. This alone will provide mothers with more money to help them better raise their children.
Divorce for Caucasians and African Americans seems to be a lot more accepted than it once had been. There are so many struggles with divorce like role confusion, behavioral, depression, and psychological issues. These issues are often magnified through a certain race, culture, or socioeconomic class. Lower classes or races struggle even more with single parenthood because of lack of opportunities and the cycle they keep falling into. It makes us wonder why divorce is becoming more common and what the underlying factors are. Through doing this research it helps put into place how African American single parent households are struggling, and what little room for improvement they are provided with. This research has shown more negative outcomes of African American single mother’s compared to the dominant culture single family households. It really seems like a circle that continues through each
“Ninety percent of single-parent families are headed by females. Not surprisingly, single mothers with dependent children have the highest rate of poverty across all demographic groups” (Olson & Banyard, 1993, p. 50-56). “Approximately 60 percent of U.S. children living in mother-only families are impoverished, compared with only 11 percent of two-parent families. The rate of poverty is even higher in African-American single-parent families, in which two out of every three children are poor” (Kirby, n.d., Single-parent Families in Poverty section, para.2).
In a long term effect, rates of school dropouts and teen parents are increasing. Children with single-moms experience the problems of growing up due to poverty. In the article”U.S children in Single-mother Families”, Mark Mather, PH.D writes there are big risks for children who grow up in single-parent household are to drop out of school and become parents under 18 years old. This kinds of children are more likely to give up their academic achievement. Because they grow up in a single family, they are lack of education from parents and school. They tend to get into society, but they do not have the enough experience of knowledge and more easily affected by their peers. Worse, they are still young, and they start to become teen parents because
In a study from Lipman, it was found that single mother often has lower income levels and education, which contributes to their depression. Furthermore, many reasons why single mothers have depression is due to financial hardship, unemployment, lack of social support, and the sole responsibility for the care of a child from Hope et al. While some single mothers are more likely to have full-time employment than married mothers, the time spent on a full-time job can be an important risk for depression from Brown and Moran. Other explanations for a single mother's depression from Barker/North, Dorsett, Shouls, and Slahpush, are major health problems including smoking, overuse of alcohol, and long-term illnesses, which can also worsen the mother’s financial situation. Additionally, a National Population Health Survey measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview by Cairney showed that single mothers have a higher 12-month commonness of major depression (15.4%) than married mothers (6.8%). (Wang Li). The situations that put stress of single mothers can not only lead to home, but can also greatly affect their
Worobey, A. R. and J.L. (1988) Single Motherhood and Children’s Health, Journal of Health and Social Behavior
In today’s society many grow up in a single parent household and it may effect some different than other’s. For instance you can look at the percentage of race and how it affects each. For one can look at a black family and see the effects it has on them. Black families are in the high percentage range of growing up in a single parent home. The outcome has little effect on than that of a white family. Not all black families are single parent homes, but the ones that are may be due to parent killed, in prison, or just do not know who their father’s. To compare to a white family growing up in a single parent house can have a higher effect. White families may experience being in a single parent household due to parents getting divorced or death.
Being a single mother is not an easy feat. Raising children alone and in broken homes has proven to be difficult for women across the globe. These difficulties seem to multiple when single mother hood takes place in an African American household. Why does this happen? Is it self-inflicted or is there something deeper going on in the mind of the black women that subconsciously leads some to end up being single black mothers? I seek to better understand the dynamic of single black motherhood from a psychological and sociological perspective. Looking at the works of womanist theologians, a solution to this hardship will hopefully arise.
...sitive attitude toward parenting and life in general, this seems to be the more successful approach: They see positive aspects in stressful situations and feel that they have succeeded despite many doubts. It's common for single parents to take a negative view of the challenges they face. However, if single-parent families are willing to work hard and get help when they need it, they can benefit from their situation in a number of ways.
and the stress of raising a child as a single parent can be all too familiar. Statistics show that a
One of the hardest issues to survive in, as a single parent, is an overwhelming emotion that you should complete the role of both mother and father. This feeling evolves and will be more intense if the other single parent is not portraying a role that is active with the children.
So do single fathers do the same household tasks that single mothers do? II. Purpose of the Research- In the study, mothers and fathers in one-parent families from the 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households were compared on time spent with children
Howard, Judith A. "Social Cognition". Sociological Perspectives on Social Psychology. Massachussetts: Allyn & Bacon. 1995. 90-117.