Showing papers on "Single mothers published in 1989"

As We Forgive Our Debtors: Bankruptcy and Consumer Credit in America

Abstract: In 1986 over 400,000 Americans filed for bankruptcy. Their contribution to the USA's growing debt crisis is indicative of the changing economic climate in the country. This study aims to uncover the legal, economic and social reasons for bankruptcy in America. Besides stories of single mothers, unlucky entrepreneurs, foolish investors and the suddenly unemployed, are the stories of those who deliberately attempt to manipulate the system through legal loopholes. The authors examine these stories from a moral, as well as financial, viewpoint and suggest legal reforms that could point to a way out of the economic jungle.

The antecedents of maltreatment: Results of the Mother-Child Interaction Research Project.

Abstract: Introduction Interest in the antecedents of child maltreatment has been present in a wide variety of disciplines for many years. Psychologists, particularly developmental psychologists, express interest in the extent to which this knowledge contributes to an understanding of the parenting process and developmental psychopathology (Maccoby and Martin, 1983). Professionals in applied fields such as medicine, social work, education, and clinical psychology depend upon research on the antecedents of child maltreatment in order to construct prediction, prevention, and intervention efforts in their work with individuals and families as well as in communities and social policy efforts. Despite the advances made in research and theory in child maltreatment over the past thirty years, only recently have there been attempts to develop integrated theoretical models of such a complex phenomenon (Cicchetti and Rizley, 1981). These efforts to produce empirically derived theories of the etiology of child maltreatment have been hindered by a number of central issues. These major issues are discussed at various points in this chapter and in others in this volume. It is important to realize that each of the disciplines contributing to maltreatment research must in some way address these issues. They include reliance on retrospective research designs, use of conceptual models that postulate isolated or single causes for maltreatment, and the lack of a heuristically generated theoretical foundation based on previous empirical findings (Belsky, 1980; Cicchetti and Aber, 1980; Cicchetti and Rizley, 1981; Egeland and Brunnquell, 1979). This chapter presents a summary of the results of research conducted on the antecedents of child maltreatment by the Mother-Child Interaction Research Project at the University of Minnesota, which was specifically designed to address these issues.

Promoting the well-being of working parents: Coping, social support, and flexible job schedules

Abstract: The associations of individual coping efforts, social support from four sources, and flexibility of job schedules with the well-being of working parents were examined. Full-time employees with children were sampled from eight firms and state agencies that varied in the flexibility they allowed in scheduling job hours. The 644 respondents, who completed a self administered questionnaire at their work sites, included 208 married fathers, 287 married mothers, and 149 single mothers. Individual coping was the most powerful predictor of outcomes, with problem-focused coping associated with positive outcomes and emotion-focused coping associated with negative outcomes. The generally weaker effects of social support varried according to both the donor of support and the outcome domain. Perceived flexibility in scheduling was weakly related to outcomes, but formal flexitime programs were unrelated.

My family and friends: six- to twelve-year-old children's perceptions of social support

Abstract: A psychometrically sound instrument is essential for the study of children's subjective impressions about social support. To evaluate such an instrument, 249 children, 6-12 years old, from a population-based sample of black and white families (50% single mothers, 50% two parents) were studied. The newly developed instrument, "My Family and Friends," consists of 12 dialogues, based on Vygotskian principles, and yields information about (a) children's perceptions of the availability of individuals in their networks to provide different types of social support and (b) their satisfaction with the help they receive. Children collaborate in interactive dialogues and manipulate personalized props. Collectively, the data indicate that subjective impressions about social support can be measured in a reliable and valid manner from early childhood through adolescence, and that children understand and care about the quality and the differentiation of support (i.e., emotional, informational, instrumental, and companionship) within their social support networks. Further, children report significant variations in social support when undergoing major family upheaval.

Victimization of mothers of abused children: a controlled study

Abstract: To search for indicators of violence against mothers of child abuse victims by husbands or boyfriends, the women's medical records were reviewed and compared to records of mothers of a nontraumatized child comparison group. Of the 32 children ascertained in a 6-month interval, the records of mothers of 19 (59.4%) were diagnostic or highly suggestive of current or previous victimization. Although the prevalence of documented violence against the mothers of children in the comparison group was an unexpectedly high 16%, the case-control difference was highly significant (P less than .001). Although differences were found in the (younger) ages and (higher) parity of mothers of abused children, these differences did not predict risk of mothers' exposures to violence in a multivariate analysis. The rate of violence against single mothers of child abuse victims, however, was four times the rate against mothers who were married (P = .022). These findings suggest a need to broaden the diagnostic conceptualization of child abuse to include maternal victimization and argue for including data concerning maternal risk in formulating diagnoses and disposition plans for abused children.

Single Mothers, the Underclass, and Social Policy

Abstract: This article focuses on the question of whether mother-only families are part of an emerging urban underclass. An underclass is defined as a population exhibiting the following characteristics: weak labor force attachment, persistence of weak attachment, and residential isolation in neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty and unemployment. We find that only a small minority of single mothers fit the description of an underclass: less than 5 percent. But a small and growing minority of black, never-married mothers meet all three criteria. We argue that welfare programs are necessary but that too heavy a reliance on welfare can facilitate the growth of an underclass. In contrast, universal programs such as child support assurance, child care, health care, children's allowances, and full employment would discourage such a trend and promote economic independence among single mothers.

Measles Outbreak Among Unvaccinated Preschool-Aged Children: Opportunities Missed by Health Care Providers to Administer Measles Vaccine

Abstract: A measles outbreak in an inner-city area primarily involved preschool-aged children younger than 5 years of age. The reasons why 31 unvaccinated preschool children with measles disease had not been vaccinated were investigated. For some patients, health care providers missed opportunities to vaccinate eligible patients against measles. Of the 26 patients whose full immunization status was known, ten (38%) were vaccinated with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine and/or oral poliovirus vaccine at a time when they could have received measles vaccine simultaneously, according to recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee and the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, five of ten health care providers interviewed missed at least one opportunity to administer measles vaccine because of a minor illness that was not a contraindication to vaccination. Unvaccinated patients were more likely to receive health care in the public sector, have single mothers, and have parents who had no knowledge of existing vaccines; they were less likely to be age-appropriately immunized with other antigens. If measles immunization levels among preschool children in the United States are to be increased, education of both health care providers and parents, coupled with innovative strategies targeted to preschool children, particularly of low socioeconomic groups in inner cities, are needed.

Severity of maternal depression and three types of mother‐to‐child aggression

Abstract: This study of low-income, single mothers suggests that severity of depression conditions the relationship between depression and three types of mother-to-child aggression. Compared to nondepressed mothers, moderately but not severely depressed women are more likely to be physically violent, and both moderately and severely depressed women are at increased risk for high frequencies of verbal/symbolic aggression.

AFDC and the Formation of Subfamilies

Abstract: This paper analyzes the relationship between AFDC benefits and a single mother's propensity to reside in a subfamily-i.e., within another family rather than in her own independent household. We find that some states pay lower benefits to mothers living in subfamilies. In those states, a single mother may forego a substantial amount of AFDC benefits if she chooses to reside in a subfamily rather than establish her own household. Using data from the 1984 Current Population Survey, we address the question of whether differences in AFDC benefits affect the probability that a mother will reside in a subfamily. We find that the lower benefits paid to subfamilies have discernible but small effects, and that the overall level of AFDC benefits has no effect.

Autonomy and Decision Making Between Single Older Women and Their Caregiving Daughters

Abstract: We examined perceptions of decisional autonomy and decision-making processes among 64 elderly, single mothers and their caregiving daughters. Mothers were highly involved in decisions affecting their lives, ranging from daily care to major health decisions; daughters were particularly influential over major health, financial and housing decisions. Mothers' level of personal care dependency was negatively associated with both mothers' and daughters' confidence in the mothers' decision-making abilities.

The Unfinished Agenda: Women in Higher Education Administration.

Abstract: and work have changed substantially in recent years and that women have in some profound way affected the leadership and direction of higher education. We are, however, skeptical about the rate of change and about the depth of current commitment to change. On one level, we have seen some revolutionary changes in the situation of women in higher education. After being in the minority since the colonial era, female college students have outnumbered males since 1979 and by a wide margin; in 1987, the nation's total college enrollment of about 12.3 million consisted of 6.5 million women and 5.8 million men. There are more of us in colleges and universities, in graduate schools, in professional schoolsall poised to leap into positions of power in the work force. Aside from being the majority in higher education, the number of women in the paid work force has vastly increased. Women are present to some degree in every occupational field. We are an important electoral force and we are powerful consumers. We have introduced new vocabulary and concepts into daily life, and we have caused society to question traditional notions about sex roles and cultural expectations. Even as these changes have been made, however, women still share little responsibility for charting the future of our country and shaping foreign policy. We do not serve in significant numbers in top federal, state, and local policy-making roles, nor do we head major corporations. And single mothers are the fastest growing poverty group in the country. Although major changes have been made, we certainly have a long way to go, and the field of higher education administration is no exception. Depending upon whether one is an optimist or a pessimist, the status of women in higher education administration is either getting better or it is dismal. There are approximately 3,000 higher education institutions in the United States and of these, women serve as chief executive officers of approximately three hundred, or 10 percent. Ten percent is not a particularly impressive figure under any circumstances, but it must also be remembered that this number includes women who serve as presidents of women's colleges or of church-related institutions. Approximately 450 publicly supported state colleges and universities in the country are often characterized as American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) institutions. Within this sector, twenty-six womena mere 6 percentare presidents or chancellors of AASCU institutions. The good news for the optimists is that this number, although low, has doubled in the last decade. And the other piece of good news is that, at the current rate, women will be chief executive officers of about one-half of the colleges and universities in the country by the year 2056. Pessimists, however, will note the fact that the growth in the number of female presidents has slowed considerably, with the total rising by only ten between 1984 and 1987. Thus, it may take us until the year 2100 to reach a position of equality. If we look to women in senior administrative positions below that of president or chancellorthat is, women who serve as vice presidents or vice chancellors, deans or directorswe again can see that some progress has been made. Recent studies indicate that approximately 1.1 women senior officers may be found at the level of dean or above at each college and university in the country. Some institutions will bust the average by having two or more. They, of course, give license to other institutions who have none at all. Here again, the numbers have increased in the last several years, but no study has predicted in what year, given the current rate of change, we can expect to see women holding 50 percent of senior officer positions. Higher education administration has a pyramidal structure and women are clustered at the bottom of the pyramid. Women are far more likely to be assistants or associates than they are to be directors, deans, vice presidents, or provosts. Women are more likely to be staff than line. In college and university administration, the three positions most often held by women and by minorities are registrar, librarian, and director of financial aid. Research also shows us that most women administrators do "women's work" in higher education administration. Women hold the positions in conSheila Kaplan is chancellor, University of Wisconsin, Parkside. Adrian Tinsley is executive vice president and provost of Glassboro State College.

Facing Challenges and Making Compromises: How Single Mothers Endure.

Abstract: Single-parent working women have the unshared responsibility for child rearing and wage earning in their families This qualitative study of 30 employed single parents replicates previous findings of challenges in managing shortages of time, money, and energy It also reveals serious concerns about failure to meet perceived family and societal expectations for living in a "normal" family with two parents In order to meet the demands of single parenting, the women feel they must display behaviors which are contradictory to those they assumed they should exhibit if they were to remarry Assisting single parents in recognizing and managing this paradoxical situation can prove a challenge to all who serve as family life professionals

Experimental studies in ponderosa pine. i. relationship between variation in proteins and morphology

Abstract: Ponderosa pine from California (Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa) were crossed to one another and also to individuals from the Rocky Mountains (P. p. var. scopulorum). All crosses involved a single mother and a single pollen donor. Patterns of inheritance of electrophoretically-detectable loci followed Mendelian expectations with one exception. Shikimate dehydrogenase showed unpredictable banding patterns in intervarietal crosses. Variability at these biochemical loci was compared to variability at 14 morphometric characters. The relationship between these two levels of variation is complex and permits only one generalization: variability at one level is not a good predictor of variability at the other level.

Patriarchal Women: A Case Study of Newly Orthodox Jewish Women

Abstract: Although it seems obvious why men might turn to a community steeped in patriarchal tradition, it is much more difficult to explain women’s attraction. To explain their attraction the author conducted in-depth interviews with 75 newly orthodox Jewish women. Although many of these women began their journeys toward Jewish Orthodoxy partly as a backlash against feminism or any liberation movement they perceived as placing individual freedom above social responsibility, the data also suggest that almost all of them selectively incorporate and adapt some protofeminist values about the family and about men. This article explores the ways in which these women seem to make “feminist” sense out of patriarchal religion and social strucuture. This study explores the attitudes, values and experiences and concerns of newly orthodox Jewish women (called baalot teshuva in Hebrew) who have voluntarily entered a world many regard as patriarchal and oppressive to women. There is ample evidence attesting to women’s second class status within Jewish orthodoxy. Feminists have emphasized the most blatant, and at times the not so obvious, areas of discrimination and oppression. They have asked for changes in divorce law (in orthodoxy only a man can initiate and obtain a divorce), inclusion in the secular leadership of Jewish communal agencies and for concrete changes in the structure of the community (from day care centers to the acceptance of single mothers and homosexuals within the Jewish community). The inviolability of the Jewish code of laws in orthodoxy prevents the possibility of women challenging a legal system created and continuously defined and redefined by males (Baskin 1985). Moreover, if women are not encouraged or given the opportunities to study the very texts from which the interpretations of those laws derive, they cannot challenge those laws in a manner that will be perceived by the community as authentic or legitimate; or to develop female leadership. Rachel Adler, a leading feminist and critic of Orthodox Judaism, describes the orthodox woman’s ritual responsibilities in the follow way:

Journey to work: a comparison of characteristics of single and married parents

Abstract: Because of single mothers'limited economic and transportation resources their work trips are expected to be different from those of parents in couple-headed households. Results obtained from a disaggregate analysis of the one percent 1980 census Public Use Microdata Sample for Worcester, MA, support existing findings that single mothers are less likely to have cars in the household. Contrary to expectations, single mothers, despite their lower financial standing, rely on an automobile for the work trip as much as married parents do. Compared to married mothers, single mothers have longer work trips: most single mothers spend over 15 minutes getting to work

A Comparison of Children Living in Single-Mother and Single-Father Families

Abstract: Research comparing children living in single-mother and single-father families has become important due to the increase in the number of parents contesting custody in divorce cases and as the number of single custodial fathers increases. The present study was designed to investigate a number of characteristics relating to children living in single-father families (SFFs) and in single-mother families (SMFs). Previous research has suggested that in the case of separation and/or divorce the mother is the more competent parent to raise the children. However, recent studies have provided some support for the idea that single fathers can be effective single parents. The subject sample included 42 single divorced custodial parents (21 single mothers and 21 single fathers) and their 62 (6- to 16-year-old) children. The measures employed were The Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC; Harter, 1985) and The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983). One-way MANCOVA and ANCOVA procedures wer...

Single mothers: their health and health service use.

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate differences in reported health and health service use in single mothers. DESIGN: The study was a survey of data derived from the General Household Surveys conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS). SETTING: The OPCS data are derived from samples of households throughout Great Britain. PARTICIPANTS: OPCS data for 1983 and 1984 were used, comprising approximately 60,000 individuals, of whom 793 were single mothers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Five different health outcomes were examined, two on perceived morbidity and three on the use of health services. The chief determinants of health and health services use among single mothers were housing tenure, employment status and the age of the youngest child. Single mother status did not consistently contribute to self reported morbidity and uptake of care when adjusted for other social variables, but there was a difference between categories of single mother, with those who were separated/divorced and those who were widowed reporting more acute illness than those who were married. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that single mothers do not form a homogeneous group and that, if special consideration is to be given to them when planning and allocating health service resources, this needs to be taken into account in the context of other socioeconomic factors.

Single parents in the suburbs: journey-to-work and access to transportation

Abstract: Their low incomes relative to other suburban households make single parent households more dependent on public transportation. The findings were based on a sample survey of 16,249 individuals living in the suburban municipality of Scarborough, Ontario. Our investigation showed that the inclusion of family composition and gender in the analysis of journey-to-work reveals distinctly different travel patterns for women, but not so for men. Single mothers have the lowest rates of car ownership, although a large majority are licensed to drive. Single mothers have the highest level of transit use; they spend more time than any other group intheir journey-to-work

A longitudinal study of visual habituation between 3, 5 and 8 months of age

Abstract: Three issues are tackled in this longitudinal study of visual habituation in infants between 3 and 8 months of age: first, changes in habituation indexes with age; second, the developmental course of relations between indexes; and third, the individual stability of habituation. Two samples of 12 infants, from contrasting rearing conditions (Home vs. Residence for single mothers) were observed in an infant-control procedure at 3, 5 and 8 months. Five continuous variables [accumulated looking time to reach criterion (ALT), duration of the first two trials, percentage of baseline, slope, and peak fixation] and three discontinuous variables (number of trials to criterion, rank trial of peak fixation, and pattern of habituation) were derived. ALT and baseline durations decrease with age, and the internal organization of visual attention during habituation changes with age, with a decrease in the relative weight of first fixations. Rearing conditions interact with age; there was evidence for a developmental lag in Residence infants. Stability of ALT was low but significant between pairs of consecutive measures, but dropped to zero over a 5-month lag. We discuss respective roles of abilities to process information and to sustain attention during the course of an habituation sequence, as well as the prerequisites for a valid predictive use of habituation speed in a developmental perspective.

Gender, transport and employment: the impact of travel constraints. chapter 4. trip chaining behaviour: a comparative and cross cultural analysis of the travel patterns of working mothers

Abstract: This chapter explores differences in the transport patterns of men and women by concentrating on one indicator of the complexity of individual travel behaviour: trip chaining, which links trips to or from work with trips to carry out personal or household responsibilities. It analyses descriptive data from in-depth interviews with parents in two-worker families and with single parents in three industrial countries: (1) France; (2) the Netherlands; (3) the USA. It explores differences in each country between full-time salaried men and women with children of different ages. It compares trip chaining behaviour in all three countries, and contrasts the travel pattern of married women, single mothers and married men. Finally, it considers how the travel behaviour of Dutch and American women is affected by the ages of their children. The author concludes that: (1) in all three countries, women have more complicated travel activities than men in comparable situations, especially when they combine salaried employment with major domestic responsibilities; (2) transport policy makers and planners must consider alternative ways of delivering transport services that respond better to the needs of working parents. For the covering abstract of the book see IRRD 829787.

The labor supply and school attendance of black women in extended and nonextended households.

Abstract: This analysis compares the labor supply of black women in extended and nonextended households in the United States. "The two foci of the study are 1) the relationship between the labor supply of grandmothers and single mothers in extended households and 2) the interaction of labor force participation human capital accumulation and child care decisions. The study estimates a labor supply model using 1980 census data that endogenizes the decision to attend school." (EXCERPT)

Becoming the Breadwinner: Single Mothers' Reactions to Changes in Their Paid Work Lives.

Abstract: This qualitative grounded-theory study of 20 divorced mothers addresses the question, "How do single mothers feel about becoming their families' breadwinners?" Attitudes toward breadwinning varied according to mothers' past marital experiences (their "marital history types"). Three marital history types are identified: segregated, modified-segregated, and primarily wife-shaped. Findings show that mothers from segregated marriages have the greatest difficulty accepting the breadwinner role; they worry most about their work's effect on their children.

Single parents: Interaction of parenting and sexual issues

Abstract: This study was designed to investigate how children affect the sexual lives of their single parents. More specifically, this study investigated how being a single mother or father affects parenting roles, partner relationships, sexual guilt, and sexual satisfaction. Data were collected from a sample of 155 parents who were members of a single-parenting organization. The findings revealed a significant difference between single mothers and single fathers regarding attitudes toward their relationship with their children. Although fathers more often reported being content in their parent-child relationships, they also were less frequently involved in the custodial care of the children. One of the major problems reported by single parents, especially mothers, was the relationship interference they perceived emanating from former spouses, children, and children of current partners. In addition, single parents also experienced guilt over their involvement with a relationship partner when it took time away from their children. Although the majority of single parents were satisfied with their sexual lives, there was a significant association between parent-child relationship and perceived sexual satisfaction for women. An increased awareness of the parenting roles and sexual lives of single parents can better enable family professionals to meet the needs of single parents as they act and react to changes in families and society.

Children's health and illness behaviour: the single working mother's perspective.

Abstract: This study explored how single working mothers perceive and deal with concerns about their children's health. "Grounded theory" analysis of data from interviews with single mothers in a wide variety of circumstances suggested that contextual factors including the mother's work situation, child care and social network are important to understanding the health and illness behaviour of these families. Children's use of health services appeared to reflect the single mother's attempts to manage her roles as mother (nurturer) and worker (provider), and her sense of role flexibility. A sense of flexibility appeared to mitigate role conflict and to interact with other known influences of health services utilization including the quality of the client/practitioner relationship. The mother's sense of flexibility appeared to vary with her income, child care arrangement, work situation (e.g., emphathetic supervisor), access to tangible support (e.g., child care) and social network (i.e., proximity to her family of origin).

Employment Dynamics Among British Lone Mothers

Abstract: We adopt a stochastic model of labor market turnover in order to analyze entries to and exits from paid employment by British lone mothers. We estimate the model using demographic and employment history data from the 1980 Women and Employment Survey. The theoretical model predicts that the exit rate falls and entry rises with a higher woman's human capital wage, and that a higher utility flow received when out of employment has the opposite effects. These predictions are generally confirmed by the parameter estimates, although welfare benefits received when not employed are only found to discourage employment in a restricted model that is rejected by the data.

In search of a sense of identity: coping with single parenthood in Kenya

Abstract: In traditional Kenya society single parenthood was rare and due to death or divorce. Communal care for a child was provided, even when one parent was thus lost. Today there is a trend toward increasing numbers of single parents without marital partners. Interviews with these single mothers reveal the role strains, difficulties and coping strategies that they encounter in parenting.