Single Parent Households

Research Paper # 117905

Child, Youth Issues > Effects of Divorce
Child, Youth Issues > Family Issues
Psychology > Social

This paper discusses the growing phenomena of single parent households and the problems that accompany living and growing up in a single parent family.

2,759 words () | 12 sources | APA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the growing trend in single parent households and discusses the problems that accompany this, as well as the contributing factors, such as divorce, having children outside of marriage, and changes in marriage and cohabitation. This paper also discusses the reasons for the rise in the divorce rate and examines the sociological effects of the single-parent household on the children growing up in them.

From the Paper:

"More children than ever before are living in single parent households. This also means that fewer children live with both a father and mother than ever before in history. this is due to many factors, among them are divorce, births outside a marriage, and changes in marriage and cohabitation. Many studies have been done on the effects of single parent households on children within those households, and while the data is there, the data is also very difficult to disaggregate. So many factors lead to other factors. Contrary to what many people would like to believe, single-parent families, on the whole, have a host of problems brought on by many forces; one of those forces is living in single-parent households."

Sample of Sources Used:

Amato, P. and Rogers, S. (1999), 'Do attitudes toward divorce affect marital quality?', Journal of Family Issues 20 (1), pp. 69-86.
Bumpass, LL, Raley RK (1993). Trends in the duration of single parent families. National Survey of Families and Households Work Pap. No. 58. Cent. Demography Ecol. Unive of Wisc-Madison.
Ellwood, David and Christopher Jencks. (2002). "The Spread of Single-Parent Families in the United States since 1960. Harvard University Press. Retrieved April 30, 2007, at http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:DBrxMO9bKKYJ:www.ksg.harvard.edu/inequality/Seminar/Papers/ElwdJnck.pdf+%22the+spread+of+single+parent+families%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Escarce, Joseph. (2003). Socioecomic Status and the Fates of Adolescents. Retrieved April 30, 2007 at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1360943
Hetherington, M. (2002). For Better or Worse: Divorce Reconsidered, New York: W.W. Norton.