SINGLE FAMILIES

HO YIN SZETO, DIEGO CAMPOS AMAYA, NATHALIE GONZALEZ, SAMUEL JO

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

• Single-parent families are families with children under the age of 18

headed by parent who is widowed or divorced and not re-married,
or by parents who never married.
• Reason for single families have changed drastically
• Mid-twentieth Century-Single parent families due to death of a spouse
• 1970-1908s- Single parent families due to divorce
• Early 2000s- Single parent families due to never marrying
CONFLICTING THEORIES

• Conflict theories state that:

• Families and marriage do not coincide together
• Families can also be a source of conflict, which can include physical and
emotional abuse

• Functionalism analysis states that:

• Families are essential to society
• Provides emotional and practical support for its members
PERCEPTION FROM MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
(NEGATIVE)
• Assumption that these households are incomplete/broken
• Belief that single mothers /fathers would not be allowed to follow
dreams, build good life and become successful.
• Motives for parenting are often questioned (especially on single
fathers)
PERCEPTION FROM SINGLE FAMILY MEMBERS
THEMSELVES
• May unrealistically expect that the family can function like a two-
parent family
• Single mothers may feel ashamed and disappointed (letting family
members/herself down)
• Unsupported by the society (micro-aggressions, cultural/gender
bias)
CONTINUED... (POSITIVE)

• Single families may still serve basic family functions, members may
view their (single) families as economic/emotional support and
agent of socialization.
• Some single parent may view that it allows him/her to have a closer
bond with his/her children.
CHANGES OF SINGLE FAMILIES OVER TIME

• Socioeconomic background
• The fast-paced transitions of an industrialized society have led to tremendous
changes in family life.
• Over the course of the twentieth century, women's roles took place primarily
by family responsibilities within the home.
• In 1900, less than 4 percent of married women were in the labor
force. However, as of 1997, nearly half (46 percent) of all employed workers
were women (Hatch, 124).
CHANGES OVER TIME (CONTINUED)

• Such socioeconomic changes have led to structural changes in the family:

• Different family structures have emerged due to divorce, blended families, single-parent
households, and nonmaternal childcare. They have become common examples of American
families.
• Single parent families tend suffer more economic hardships that dual-parent families since there is
only one source of income, even when child support is received.
• “As many as 35% of all children born in the United States live in single-parent families (SPF)”
(Rampell, 2010).
THE MOST AFFECTED ONES

• Childbearing among single women has increased greatly over the past several decades.
• “Approximately one-third (32.2 percent) of all births were to single women in 1995” (Rampell,
2010).
• In addition to economic hardships, single parents face problems about role overload, keeping a
social life and parenting responsibilities, and very often trouble with their former spouse.
• This type situations can impact the well-being of children.
• Single mothers head approximately 80% of all SPF.
IMPACTS CREATED TO MEMBERS(PARENT)
BY THE INSTITUTION
• Single parents are more often affected by bias and assumptions, further
influenced their daily interactions with society.
• Single-mother families have much less money available to spend on their children,
as single mothers tend to make less money
• Single mothers are more likely to have depression or other psychological
problems than married mothers.
IMPACTS CREATED TO MEMBERS(CHILDREN)
BY THE INSTITUTION
• Get less education and love from parent (lack parenting)
• Single mothers shoulder all of the work, household and childcare duties, leaving
them with less time to invest in their children
• Studies indicate that single parents are less emotionally available and supportive
of their children. With less supervision, fewer rules and harsh inconsistent
discipline, conflicts between parents and their children happened frequently
• Children may get poor academic achievement, emotional problems, low self-
esteem and difficulty in social interactions.
ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES

• Income by single families are noticed to be a median income of $26,000. Which is well
recognized to be only 1/3rd of what a dual parent family makes which considered to be
approximately $80,000.
• A single mother's income who was never married was known to be approximately $17,400,
right above the poverty line.
• 66% of the single-family households are known to be living under the poverty line. 10% of
families living in a dual parent household live below the poverty line
• 50% of adults are living with welfare benefits after becoming recently single.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

• Children are known to achieve better and stand best when being provided with a stable
household.
• With the absence of a parent in the household because of employment reasons, can cause a
child to feel neglected causing them psychological problems. Leading to not having proper
engañen from parent to child.
• Children are more likely to go through depression and emotional stress than those who have
dual parents to carry them. Unlike single families some children have to provide for families at
an approximately 15 years old.
IMPORTANCE OF YOUR LIFE AT HOME

• being provided with the right caregiving engagement to a child does create and effect. It’s
boosts their confidence their drive and ambition. Most single family homes are always moving
around say for employment reasons.
• Having dual parenting provides emotional and economical care. For example, emotional stress
and economically say a college tuition.
• Single- mothered families spend nearly half of their income on monthly expenses for the
household. With only leaving the last some up of their income to the children which would
only possible be food and a couple pieces of clothing.
CONCLUSION

• Family plays an important role in educating and socializing next generations

• It also plays different functions for its members, including emotional and economic
support.
• However, some forms of familiy structure (Single parent families) are not fully
accepted/recognized by the society, which may cause inconveniece for these
families.
• Single parent families are often neglected and discriminated in the current
society

• Therefore it is our responsibility to change this phenomenon

• We all play a vital part in eliminating this discrimination, by accepting
them, stop being judgemental, and view them as a normal family.
 REFERENCES

• HATCH, LAURIE RUSSELL. "American Families." Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd ed., vol. 1,
Macmillan Reference USA, 2001, pp. 120-133. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3404400026/GVRL?u=pasa19871&sid=GVRL&xid=9ab43e3a.
Accessed 24 Jan. 2018.
• Psychology Help Center. “Single Parenting and Today's Family.” American Psychological Association,
American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/helpcenter/single-parent.aspx.
• VerBruggen, Robert. "American Families are Broken and Blended." National Review, Nov, 2017, SIRS
Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.
• Wu, Ho-tang, et al. "Relationship among Family Support, Love Attitude, and Well-Being of Junior High
School Students." Universal Journal of Educational Research, vol. 4, no. 2, 01 Jan. 2016, pp. 370-377.
EBSCOhost, login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d
b=eric&AN=EJ1089688&site=ehost-live.
 REFERENCES (CONTINUED)

• THE BLOG, “A Conversation about Single Parenting: Challenging the Stereotypes”,

HuffPost,10 Oct,2017, Accessed 3 Feb, 2018
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-leavy-phd/a-conversation-about-single-
parenting_b_8981898.html
• Vensel, Steven R., PhD. "Single-Parent Families." Mental Health and Mental
Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Conditions, Treatments, and Well-Being, edited by
Len Sperry, vol. 3, Greenwood, 2016, pp. 1033-1034. Gale Virtual Reference
Library, Accessed 31 Jan 2018.
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX6403700763/GVRL?u=pasa19871&sid=GVRL&
xid=3998203a
 REFERENCES (CONTINUED)

• 40 Facts About Two Parent Families | Studies and Statistics.” Gillespie, Shields,
Durrant & Goldfarb, 17 Jan. 2017, www.yourazlawfirm.com/40-facts-two-parent-
families/.
• “Families: Single Parenting and Today’s Families”, American Psychological
Association, Accessed 3 Feb, 2018
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/single-parent.aspx
• Kedro, Melinda. “Data on Single Parent vs. Dual Parent Households.” Living The
Bump, http://living.thebump.com/data-single-parent-vs-dual-parent-households-
15860.html
• "Single-Parent families.” Encyclopedia of Children's Health,
www.healthofchildren.com/S/Single-Parent-Families.html