Showing papers on "Single mothers published in 2012"
TL;DR: The authors used interviews with a diverse sample of 40 employed mothers to explore how they navigate the "intensive mother" and "ideal worker" ideologies and construct their own accounts of good mothering.
Abstract: Social scientists have provided rich descriptions of the ascendant cultural ideologies surrounding motherhood and paid work. In this article, I use in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 40 employed mothers to explore how they navigate the “intensive mother” and “ideal worker” ideologies and construct their own accounts of good mothering. Married mothers in this sample construct scripts of “extensive mothering,” in which they delegate substantial amounts of the day-to-day child care to others, and reframe good mothering as being “in charge” of and ultimately responsible for their children’s well-being. Single mothers describe extensive mothering in different ways, and their narratives suggest less accountability to the “intensive mothering” model. Mothers in this sample also justify employment in novel ways: They emphasize the benefits of employment for themselves—not only their children—and they reject the long work hours imposed by an ideal worker model. The article ends with the implications of e...
263 citations
TL;DR: Food insecure mothers are more likely than child-free men and women and food insecure fathers to be overweight or obese and to gain more weight over four years, and obesity offers a physical expression of the vulnerabilities that arise from the intersection of gendered childcare expectations and poverty.
197 citations
TL;DR: The analyses show that single-mother poverty is a function of the household’s employment, education, and age composition, and the presence of other adults in the household and welfare universalism could be an even more effective anti-poverty strategy.
Abstract: We examine the influence of individual characteristics and targeted and universal social policy on single-mother poverty with a multilevel analysis across 18 affluent Western democracies. Although single mothers are disproportionately poor in all countries, there is even more cross-national variation in single-mother poverty than in poverty among the overall population. By far, the United States has the highest rate of poverty among single mothers among affluent democracies. The analyses show that single-mother poverty is a function of the household’s employment, education, and age composition, and the presence of other adults in the household. Beyond individual characteristics, social policy exerts substantial influence on single-mother poverty. We find that two measures of universal social policy significantly reduce single-mother poverty. However, one measure of targeted social policy does not have significant effects, and another measure is significantly negative only when controlling for universal social policy. Moreover, the effects of universal social policy are larger. Additional analyses show that universal social policy does not have counterproductive consequences in terms of family structure or employment, while the results are less clear for targeted social policy. Although debates often focus on altering the behavior or characteristics of single mothers, welfare universalism could be an even more effective anti-poverty strategy.
188 citations
TL;DR: Differences in economic inequality between countries moderated the association between certain family structures, perceived family affluence and life satisfaction, and difficulties in communicating with parents.
Abstract: This paper examines differences in life satisfaction among children in different family structures in 36 western, industrialised countries (n = 184 496). Children living with both biological parents reported higher levels of life satisfaction than children living with a single parent or parent–step-parent. Children in joint physical custody reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction than their counterparts in other types of non-intact families. Controlling perceived family affluence, the difference between joint physical custody families and single mother or mother–stepfather families became non-significant. Difficulties in communicating with parents were strongly associated with less life satisfaction but did not mediate the relation between family structure and life satisfaction. Children in the Nordic countries characterised by strong welfare systems reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction in all living arrangements except in single father households. Differences in economic inequality between countries moderated the association between certain family structures, perceived family affluence and life satisfaction.
125 citations
TL;DR: The relationships between employment, maternity leave and breastfeeding duration were significant when controlling for known predictors of breastfeeding, and more flexible working conditions and more generous employment leave could help to prolong breastfeeding among working mothers.
Abstract: In 2005, Scotland became the first nation to make breastfeeding in public a legal right, but current breastfeeding targets and maternity leave allowance do not acknowledge the conflicting demands women face when juggling employment and motherhood. This paper explores how employment and maternity leave relate to breastfeeding duration among mothers in Scotland. The Growing Up in Scotland national longitudinal cohort study of 5,217 babies born in 2004-2005 was used. Multivariate proportional hazards regression models were specified using one cross-sectional wave of data to predict breastfeeding duration. Mothers working as employees, full-time (Hazard Ratio 1.6) or part-time (HR1.3), had a higher risk of earlier breastfeeding cessation than non-working mothers. However, self-employed mothers did not differ significantly from non-working mothers in their breastfeeding patterns. Mothers who took longer maternity leave breastfed for longer. The relationships between employment, maternity leave and breastfeeding duration were significant when controlling for known predictors of breastfeeding. Younger mothers, those with less formal education, single mothers, those of white ethnic background, and first-time mothers were more likely to stop breastfeeding sooner, as has been noted in previous research. Employment and early return to work are both factors associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding. More flexible working conditions and more generous employment leave could help to prolong breastfeeding among working mothers. Current health and employment policy in Scotland and the UK could be better coordinated so that working mothers have the adequate support to meet the conflicting demands of employment and motherhood.
125 citations
TL;DR: Using a child's eligibility for public kindergarten in a regression discontinuity instrumental variables framework, the authors estimate how use of a particular subsidy, public school, affects maternal labor supply, finding that public school enrollment increases only the employment of single mothers without additional young children.
Abstract: Many argue that childcare costs limit the labor supply of mothers, though existing evidence has been mixed. Using a child's eligibility for public kindergarten in a regression discontinuity instrumental variables framework, I estimate how use of a particular subsidy, public school, affects maternal labor supply. I find public school enrollment increases only the employment of single mothers without additional young children. I compare this result to previous work, focusing on striking increases in a similar setting but earlier period (Gelabch 2002). Differences in the population of mothers, labor supply, and patterns of lifecycle events likely drive the discrepancy in results.
120 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest the importance of two-parent family contexts for children's healthy physical development, and that single mothers may need additional support to better manage their children's BMI.
114 citations
TL;DR: As parents' education increases, children in single mother families experience a lower boost in their achievement test scores, likelihood of attending any post-secondary schooling,lihood of completing a 4-year college degree, and years of completed schooling relative to children living with both biological parents.
113 citations
TL;DR: Design, fabrication and operation of a disposable picolitre cultivation system is described, in which environmental conditions can be well controlled on a short time scale and bacterial microcolony growth experiments can be observed by time-lapse microscopy.
Abstract: In the continuously growing field of industrial biotechnology the scale-up from lab to industrial scale is still a major hurdle to develop competitive bioprocesses. During scale-up the productivity of single cells might be affected by bioreactor inhomogeneity and population heterogeneity. Currently, these complex interactions are difficult to investigate. In this report, design, fabrication and operation of a disposable picolitre cultivation system is described, in which environmental conditions can be well controlled on a short time scale and bacterial microcolony growth experiments can be observed by time-lapse microscopy. Three exemplary investigations will be discussed emphasizing the applicability and versatility of the device. Growth and analysis of industrially relevant bacteria with single cell resolution (in particular Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum) starting from one single mother cell to densely packed cultures is demonstrated. Applying the picolitre bioreactor, 1.5-fold increased growth rates of C. glutamicum wild type cells were observed compared to typical 1 litre lab-scale batch cultivation. Moreover, the device was used to analyse and quantify the morphological changes of an industrially relevant L-lysine producer C. glutamicum after artificially inducing starvation conditions. Instead of a one week lab-scale experiment, only 1 h was sufficient to reveal the same information. Furthermore, time lapse microscopy during 24 h picolitre cultivation of an arginine producing strain containing a genetically encoded fluorescence sensor disclosed time dependent single cell productivity and growth, which was not possible with conventional methods.
111 citations
TL;DR: The various scenarios of the composition, size, and attendance at meals of the consumer unit show that the calculated food energy adequacy can range from +2% to −29%.
Abstract: BackgroundKnowledge of the amount and quality of food consumed by a population is essential in determining the adequacy of the food availability and supply. Since its founding, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has developed methods for determining food availability and consumption that may be useful to other investigators.ObjectiveBased on FAO's 60 years of experience in conducting Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES), to explain and demonstrate the advantages and use of the Adult Male Equivalent (AME) and Equivalent Nutrition Unit (ENU) concepts.MethodsThe important factors related to the AME and ENU, such as energy requirements, size and composition of the food consumer unit, and attendance at meals, are explained through the examples of two hypothetical families: a family consisting of a father, a mother, a 12-year old daughter, and a 3-year old son plus an adult guest; and a family consisting of a single mother, a 10-year old son, and two daughters, 6 and 4 years of age. Th...
108 citations
TL;DR: Following fluorescent reporters in single mother cells throughout their lifespan, a surprising change of expression of the translation elongation factor TEF2 during aging is discovered, suggesting altered translational control in aged mother cells.
Abstract: A major limitation to yeast aging study has been the inability to track mother cells and observe molecular markers during the aging process. The traditional lifespan assay relies on manual micro-manipulation to remove daughter cells from the mother, which is laborious, time consuming, and does not allow long term tracking with high resolution microscopy. Recently, we have developed a microfluidic system capable of retaining mother cells in the microfluidic chambers while removing daughter cells automatically, making it possible to observe fluorescent reporters in single cells throughout their lifespan. Here we report the development of a new generation of microfluidic device that overcomes several limitations of the previous system, making it easier to fabricate and operate, and allowing functions not possible with the previous design. The basic unit of the device consists of microfluidic channels with pensile columns that can physically trap the mother cells while allowing the removal of daughter cells automatically by the flow of the fresh media. The whole microfluidic device contains multiple independent units operating in parallel, allowing simultaneous analysis of multiple strains. Using this system, we have reproduced the lifespan curves for the known long and short-lived mutants, demonstrating the power of the device for automated lifespan measurement. Following fluorescent reporters in single mother cells throughout their lifespan, we discovered a surprising change of expression of the translation elongation factor TEF2 during aging, suggesting altered translational control in aged mother cells. Utilizing the capability of the new device to trap mother-daughter pairs, we analyzed mother-daughter inheritance and found age dependent asymmetric partitioning of a general stress response reporter between mother and daughter cells.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the literature on stress and coping for single mothers in the context of poverty and used narrative interviews to capture the lived experiences of 12 women who raised their children alone.
Abstract: The voices of the poor are ignored in policy debates and in social work research, practice, and the development of interventions. This article reviews the literature on stress and coping for single mothers in the context of poverty and uses narrative interviews to capture the lived experiences of 12 women who raised their children alone. The results showed that these single mothers’ stress and coping experiences tend to reflect the findings of research except that the low-income women in the study relieved stress and empowered themselves through volunteer work with other low-income individuals. The implications for social work education and practice are discussed.
TL;DR: For example, this article found that 30 million debit accounts were closed for excessive overdrafting during 2001-2005 in US counties with a larger fraction of single mothers, lower education levels, lower wealth, and higher unemployment.
Abstract: Using a new database, we document the determinants of involuntary consumer bank account closures. During 2001–2005, approximately 30 million debit accounts were involuntarily closed for excessive overdrafting. We focus on multiple factors to explain this phenomenon: household economics and financial decision-making ability, social capital, bank policies, and the alternative financial services sector. Involuntary closures are more frequent in US counties with a larger fraction of single mothers, lower education levels, lower wealth, and higher unemployment. Closures are higher in communities with high property crime rates and low electoral participation. Bank policies have an independent relation to closures, with counties having more competitive banking markets and more multi-market banks experiencing higher closure rates; bank structure also seems to affect the speed at which banks adjust their policies to changes in household income. Finally, using both national data and a state-level shift in regulation, we find evidence that access to payday lending leads to higher rates of involuntary account closure.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The state of white America, 1960-2010 Charles Murray Crown Forum, 2012 as mentioned in this paper, examines trends over the past several decades that have markedly changed the class structure in America and identifies three categories that are problematical for America's civic culture: men whose income is below the poverty line (as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey); low-income single women with children; and "isolates" - that is, men who are making a decent living and women who are not single mothers but who are disconnected from the matrix of community life.
Abstract: Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 Charles Murray Crown Forum, 2012Over the past few decades, preoccupied with the minority underclass, the media and academia have largely ignored the white lower class, which has grown under the radar screen. The result of this omission is that "white" has become nearly synonymous for "affluent" in any mention from those sources. In Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, Charles Murray seeks a more accurate perception, examining trends over the past several decades that have markedly changed the class structure in America.For Murray, America changed irrevocably on November 22, 1963 - the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Prior to that watershed event, Americans, for the most part, shared a common culture and a common value system. They obeyed norms with remarkable consistency. Marriage was universal for all races and divorce was rare. Almost always, mothers stayed home to raise their children. Overwhelmingly, men were active in the labor force, as there was a strong taboo against idleness. Rates of incarceration were but a fraction of what they are today. And popular culture - even Hollywood - reflected this consensus.That common culture is now gone. In its stead, Murray sees the development of two distinct cultures - one functional and the other dysfunctional - that reflect the values and lifestyles of their respective classes. At the apex is the upper class, a "narrow elite" - numbering fewer than a thousand people - which runs the nation's economic, political, and cultural institutions. More numerous is the new upper- middle class, which Murray operationally defines as those people who are the most successful 5 percent of the adult population ages 25 and older who work in management, the professions, and in content- production jobs in the media. For the new lower class, Murray posits that there are no sharp edges for deciding who belongs and who does not. Nevertheless, he identifies, three categories that are problematical for America's civic culture: men whose income is below the poverty line (as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey); low-income single women with children; and "isolates" - that is, men who are making a decent living and women who are not single mothers but who are disconnected from the matrix of community life.Murray laments that the narrow elite - and increasingly the new upper-middle class - are woefully ignorant of the rest of America. By the late twentieth century, the best educated and most affluent increasingly segregated themselves from the rest of American society. To Murray, this balkanization is problematic, as he muses: "It is not a problem if truck drivers cannot empathize with the priorities of Yale professors. It is a problem if Yale professors, or producers of network news programs, or CEOs of great corporations, or presidential advisers cannot emphasize with the priorities of truck drivers."What accounts for this insularity? According to Murray, college education was instrumental in this elite segregation. As he observes, prior to 1960, the academic profile of freshmen admitted to elite schools was not much higher than it was for other colleges in the United States. However, a cognitive stratification occurred soon thereafter in which the brightest students flocked to the elite colleges and universities. This led to homogamy, or the interbreeding of persons with similar characteristics. In this case, young men and women of marriageable age found one another at elite schools and went on to produce intelligent children, which reinforced their cognitive advantages to the next generation. As a consequence, a disproportionate share of exceptional children now comes from parents who are already part of the broad elite. What is more, as Murray notes, the modern economy is far more rewarding of cognitive ability than it was in the past. Whereas, wage earners in the upper quartile experienced impressive gains from 1970 to 2010, wages for workers in the bottom half were flat. …
TL;DR: The authors showed that spatio-temporal and emotional boundaries are both relevant and interacting while persons travel their paths through time and space and suggested a reinterpretation of authority constraints and to take into account the biological and cultural expressions of individuals.
TL;DR: This paper explored which family policies are most effective at directly reducing poverty among families with children, and whether these policies indirectly reduce poverty through supporting mothers' employment, finding significant effects of family allowances, generous parental leaves and childcare provisions, with more powerful effects for single mothers.
TL;DR: Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study, this study investigates how the share, correlates, transition patterns, and duration of three generation households vary by mother's relationship status at birth.
Abstract: Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N=4,898), this study investigates how the share, correlates, transition patterns, and duration of three generation households vary by mother's relationship status at birth. Nine percent of married mothers, 17 % of cohabiting, and 45% of single mothers live in a three generation family household at the birth of the child. Incidence over time is much higher and most common among single mother households, 60% live in a three generation family household in at least one wave. Economic need, culture, and generational needs are associated with living in a three generation household and correlates vary by mother's relationship status. Three generation family households are short lived and transitions are frequent. Kin support through coresidence is an important source of support for families with young children and in particular families that are unwed at the birth of their child.
TL;DR: This paper examined whether single parents experience greater reductions in work-to-family conflict from using resources than partnered parents do, and found that single parent status was not directly related to work to family conflict, rather single-parent status interacted with other variables, including gender, control over work hours, and the number of other adults in the home.
Abstract: This study examined whether single parents experience greater reductions in work-to-family conflict from using resources than partnered parents do. The question of whether single mothers, single fathers, partnered mothers, or partnered fathers experienced differing levels of work-to-family conflict was also addressed. Data were from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, and only those respondents with at least one child under the age of 18 living in the household were included in the analysis (N = 1325). Findings indicated that single-parent status was not directly related to work-to-family conflict. Rather single-parent status interacted with other variables, including gender, control over work hours, and the number of other adults in the home, in predicting work-to-family conflict.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the living arrangements of cohabiting couples and single mothers in Latin American households and found that co-residence with other kin drops significantly upon the transition to parenthood, at which point there are no longer any differences between co-habiting and married couples.
Abstract: The dramatic shift from marriage to cohabitation during the last four decades in most Latin American countries, even among the upper social strata, begs the question as to the living arrangements of cohabiting couples and single mothers. The new “Family Interrelationships Variables” in the IPUMS samples of Latin American censuses facilitated the construction of an enlarged LIPRO typology. LIPRO classifies individuals with respect to the types of households in which they are living. The results indicate that cohabiting women and single mothers aged 25 to 29 are frequently found in their parental households or in other extended or composite households. However, there are large variations depending on country and education. For instance, cohabitation is mainly in nuclear households, as in Europe, in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina. It occurs mainly in the context of extended households in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Cuba. Mexico and Chile occupy intermediate positions. In all instances co-residence of cohabiting couples with other kin drops significantly upon the transition to parenthood, at which point there are no longer any differences between cohabiting and married couples. Single mothers, however, continue to co-reside in extended or composite households to a larger extent, and this holds particularly for the better-educated among them. This analysis illustrates that cohabitation of the traditional type and of the “Second Demographic Transition” type are found alongside each other, with one being more important than the other depending on country and on educational level or social class within each country.
TL;DR: It is found that marital status and gender create distinct contexts that shape employed parents’ perceived home-to-job conflict and the lack of spouses’ share of domestic responsibilities is related to conflict especially for married mothers.
Abstract: Although researchers argue that single parents perceive more work–family conflict than married parents, little research has examined nuances in such differences. Using data from the 2002 National Study of Changing Workforce (N = 1,430), this study examines differences in home-to-job conflict by marital status and gender among employed parents. Findings indicate that single mothers feel more home-to-job conflict than single fathers, married mothers, and married fathers. Some predictors of home-to-job conflict vary by marital status and gender. Job pressure is related to home-to-job conflict more for single parents than for married parents. Age of children is related to conflict for single fathers only. Whereas an unsupportive workplace culture is related to conflict especially for married fathers, the lack of spouses’ share of domestic responsibilities is related to conflict especially for married mothers. These findings indicate that marital status and gender create distinct contexts that shape employed p...
Book•
16 Apr 2012
TL;DR: Unite! Marriage and American Identity as mentioned in this paper is an organization dedicated to marriage promotion, Heterosexuality, and being American, which was founded by the Unite! Movement.
Abstract: Acknowledgments Preface Introduction: Marriage Promotion, Heterosexuality and "Being American" 1 Unite! Marriage and American Identity 2 The Stakes of Gender and Heterosexuality 3 Widening the Marriage Gap 4 Teaching Marriage to Single Mothers and Inmates 5 Marriage Recitals in High School 6 Contesting Native American Marriage Conclusion: The Power of the "M-Word" Appendix A: Methods Appendix B: Sample Characteristics: In-depth Interviews of Participants in Workshops for the General Population Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
Book•
23 Oct 2012
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an overview of TANF financing and rules for state programs, describing how states may use federal TANFs and state MOEs under a "maintenance-of-effort" (MOE) requirement.
Abstract: This report provides an overview of TANF financing and rules for state programs, describing federal TANF grants and state funds under a "maintenance-of-effort" (MOE) requirement; how states may use federal TANF and state MOE funds to help achieve the purpose and goals of the TANF block grant; rules that apply to states when they use TANF or MOE funds to provide cash welfare to needy families with children; rules that apply to states when they use TANF or MOE funds for benefits and services other than cash welfare; certain accountability requirements that apply to states, including requirements that states submit plans and report data to the federal government; and provisions of TANF law not directly related to grants to states, such as competitive grants for promoting healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, tribal TANF provisions, and research funds.
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of demographic and labour-related variables in the current differential of poverty rates among racial and ethnic groups in the United States and its recent evolution is analyzed.
Abstract: The two largest minorities in the United States, African Americans and people of Hispanic origin, show official poverty rates at least twice as high as those of non-Hispanic Whites. These similarly high poverty rates between the two minorities are, however, the result of different combinations of factors related to the specific characteristics of these two groups. In this article, we analyse the role of demographic and labour-related variables in the current differential of poverty rates among racial and ethnic groups in the United States and its recent evolution. Our results show, first, that these differentials are largely explained by differing family characteristics of the ethnic groups. Furthermore, we show that while labour market activity of family members and a preponderance of single mothers play a more significant role in the higher poverty rates of Blacks, a larger number of dependent children is closely associated with higher poverty among Latinos, who also suffer from a larger educational att...
TL;DR: In this article, the wellbeing of single mothers who are combining income support and paid employment is being influenced by these stepped-up activity requirements, drawing on data from semistructured interviews with 21 Brisbane single mothers.
Abstract: In July 2006, “welfare-to-work” policies were introduced for single parents in Australia. These policies require most single parents with school-aged children to be employed or seeking employment of 15 to 25 hours per week in return for their income support payment. The changes represented a sharp increase in the obligations applying to single parents on income support. This paper is concerned with how the wellbeing of single mothers who are combining income support and paid employment is being influenced by these stepped-up activity requirements. The paper draws on data from semistructured interviews with 21 Brisbane single mothers. The analysis explores participants’ experiences in the new policy environment, utilising the theoretical framework of “relational autonomy”. Relational approaches to autonomy emphasise the importance of relations of dependency and interdependency to the development of autonomy and wellbeing in contrast with more individualistic approaches that privilege independence ...
TL;DR: Results of structural equation modeling indicated that, controlling for level of exposure to the hurricanes, pre-disaster physical health, age, and number of children, pre.
Abstract: This prospective study examined the pathways by which religious involvement affected the post-disaster psychological functioning of women who survived Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The participants were 386 low-income, predominantly Black, single mothers. The women were enrolled in the study before the hurricane, providing a rare opportunity to document changes in mental health from before to after the storm, and to assess the protective role of religious involvement over time. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that, controlling for level of exposure to the hurricanes, pre-disaster physical health, age, and number of children, pre-disaster religiousness predicted higher levels of post-disaster (1) social resources and (2) optimism and sense of purpose. The latter, but not the former, was associated with better post-disaster psychological outcome. Mediation analysis confirmed the mediating role of optimism and sense of purpose.
TL;DR: For example, this paper found that brigadistas took deep pleasure in learning about mosquito-human lifeworlds, a pleasure they called "ecological aesthetic" which contrasted with the more familiar aesthetics identifiable in the ministry's ordering of the household.
Abstract: Nicaraguan Ministry of Health protocols for the control of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits dengue fever, hinge on an aesthetic ordering of the urban household, one in which mosquitoes, like garbage and dirt, do not belong. Management regimes such as this appear to rely on an alienation of people—and in the case of dengue, women in particular—from the urban natures in which they live. In this article, I draw on 18 months of research with Nicaraguan community health workers (brigadistas) for whom mosquito abatement involved an opening, rather than a closing, of the landscape. Brigadistas, especially female brigadistas, took deep pleasure in learning about mosquito–human lifeworlds, a pleasure I call “ecological aesthetic.” Ecological aesthetics—patterns of connection that are identifiable only through performance—contrasted to the more familiar aesthetics identifiable in the ministry's ordering of the household. Although the latter aesthetic has human control over life at its core, the former emphasizes entanglement, a relational knowledge of life. I suggest some implications of this idea for future anthropological studies of “the politics of life.”
TL;DR: IBC was more prevalent at the older age groups, among those who had difficult communication with their parents, and where household routines were infrequent, and should be considered when addressing irregular breakfast consumption in adolescence.
TL;DR: The authors explored differences in attitudes toward never-married custodial single mothers and fathers in terms of personal characteristics and parenting abilities and highlighted the importance of considering the gender of the single parent when researching and providing therapy to this population.
Abstract: This study explored differences in attitudes toward never-married custodial single mothers and fathers. The sample for this study was comprised of 1,351 participants, with an average age of 27.2 years (SD = 11.68). Participants were randomly assigned to a female or male vignette stimulus and were asked to complete a series of questionnaires. The results suggest that never-married custodial single mothers were viewed less positively than never-married custodial single fathers in terms of personal characteristics and parenting abilities. This study highlights the importance of considering the gender of the single parent when researching and providing therapy to this population.
TL;DR: Findings suggest that effective social programs implemented in early life may have an opportunity to reduce the early developmental disadvantages of many children of teenage mothers.
Abstract: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort of 2001 represents a unique opportunity to
examine the life situations of teenage mothers and their young children in a nationally representative
sample. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses compare teenage mothers and their children
to older mothers and their children, examine variation among teenage mothers and their children, and
estimate associations between household structures and mothers' work and school involvement at
age 2 and children's health and development at age 4½. Results show that compared to children of
mothers who never gave birth as teens, teenage mothers' children experience strong socioeconomic
disadvantages, and their home environments have some greater risks. Their mothers' parenting
behaviors are not rated as favorably, and many measures of their health and development at age 2 are
compromised. However, many of these parenting and developmental disparities are explained by
teenage mothers' low levels of current socioeconomic status. At least in some domains, teenage
mothers' involvement in school and paid work is associated with more favorable child outcomes at age
4½, and living with a single mother and other adults predicts more negative outcomes. Many
everyday experiences that are associated with disadvantaged outcomes are quite prevalent among
teenage mothers' children, identifying useful targets for policy interventions. These findings suggest
that effective social programs implemented in early life may have an opportunity to reduce the early
developmental disadvantages of many children of teenage mothers.
TL;DR: In this article, Cook et al. examined how welfare-to-work programs shift women's dependence from the state onto family and friends, many of whom are in similarly impoverished situations and/or are unable to provide adequate support.
Abstract: Cook KE. Social support in single parents' transition from welfare to work: Analysis of qualitative findings
Since 1995, single parents have been required to participate in welfare-to-work activities. While quantitative meta-analyses have consolidated the social and economic impacts of such transitions, no attempt has yet been made to synthesise the qualitative evidence. In this article, I offer an analysis of 16 qualitative articles that explore the role of social support in the lives of single mothers making the transition from welfare to work. By focusing on the functions and reciprocal nature of social support, this study examined how welfare-to-work programmes shift women's dependence from the state onto family and friends, many of whom are in similarly impoverished situations and/or are unable to provide adequate support. Furthermore, women are often required to reciprocate the support they receive, which creates additional barriers to a successful welfare-to-work transition.