Abstract
This paper examines how the problems of female heads of households have their origins in the economics of the nation, which favor full-time work and reward males disproportionately for the same labor. It looks at how this initial imbalance is intensified by the social welfare system, which would rather punish female heads of households than help them, no matter what effect it might have on them or their offspring. It also discusses how any solution would need to be two-fold, societal and political.

From the Paper
"Sharp noted that the market "ignores the long household work hours, the hours of care-giving, and the work imposed by traditional familial roles of the larger society. But a greater commitment to the labor market by women poses problems for women's economic health for two reasons" (1998). Moreover, the problem for working female heads of households is even more severe. "First, the incomes earned by many women are not significantly above the levels sufficient to support a family at a standard of living above the poverty line" (Sharp, 1998). For all women, he noted, household tasks and market labor, taken together, add up to long hours and low pay for all women, but for female heads of household, the 'environment', as Sharp calls the complex of paid and unpaid labor, is even worse."

Tags:social, welfare, system, reforms

Abstract
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee states that the marginalization of women in the United States is immense ("Marginalized" 2008, para. 1). This is especially true of impoverished women who are functioning as the head of household with children under their care. According to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the marginalized poor females in society are stripped of personal power to control their lives because they are forced to work in low paying jobs that offer no benefits, often live in substandard housing and receive little, if any, social support for their life conditions ("Marginalized" 2008, para. 1). Sawhill (n.d.) wrote that to understand the impact of poverty on women in the United States it is only necessary to realize that between the 1950s and 1990s poverty among women rose over 20% (para. 7). The literature demonstrates, therefore, that the marginalized impoverished women in the United States must have the opportunities required to empower them and ultimately change their lives. Working with this population to offer them information on organizations that offer assistance, parenting, fair housing, health care, education possibilities and employment can be the foundation for changing lives, not only within the targeted population, but for the offspring of impover

From the Paper
Adult Education Program The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee states that the marginalization of women in the United States is immense ("Marginalized" 2008, para. 1). This is especially true of impoverished women who are functioning as the head of household with children under their care. According to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the marginalized poor females in society are stripped of personal power to control their lives because they are forced to work in low paying jobs that offer no benefits, often live in substandard housing and receive little, if any, social support for their life conditions ("Marginalized"

Tags:adult, edu, program

Abstract
This paper argues that the economy favors men as the main breadwinners. It explains that the problems of female heads of households have their origins in the economics of the nation, favoring full-time work and rewarding males disproportionately for the same labor. The paper points out that this initial imbalance is intensified by the social welfare system, cut once (and likely again) in the recent past by a Republican administration that, by its actions, would rather punish female heads of households than help them, no matter what effect it might have on them or their offspring.

From the Paper
"The huge numbers of Baby Boomers has worked to intensify the effect, making competition for scarce jobs and benefits more intense than for any previous generation, at the same time increasing the amount that generation pays in taxes to keep Social Security payments to its parents-voted into being by those parents-going up. While all this is problematical for female heads of household, it is even more dire for African American female heads of households, with a new problem-the recently recognized 'marriage gap'-to add to the difficulties. Any solution would need to be two-fold: societal and political. While it is true that one cannot legislate attitudes, one can legislate policies and programs. Making those more 'female head of household friendly' would at least begin to solve half of the problems faced by that population group."

Tags:republican, social, welfare, feminism

Abstract
Via a literature review, personal interviews and extensive data analysis, this paper examines what effects the increase in female-headed households has on male elementary school teachers, particularly those in the primary grades. The paper additionally examines how male teachers construct their own masculinities on a daily basis, how they perceive their dramatic under-representation in the occupation and what meanings this arrangement has for them. Finally, it describes their feelings and ideas about the issue of increasing the number of males in elementary teaching, and whether or not they feel it is unfair for single mothers to place too much "role model" responsibility on their shoulders.

From the Paper
\"Some students go through their first six years of school without ever encountering a male teacher (Cohen, 1990). Because of the small number of male teachers, it is thought that schools do not offer boys enough models of male behavior. Today many boys, especially the sons of single mothers, lack such models in their lives, which has caused many single mothers raising boys to purposefully seek out elementary schools where their children can find male teachers, so that they will have at least one male role model in their lives. However the question remains as to whether or not male teachers are critical to a fatherless child's emotional and academic development.\"

Tags:education, experiment, gender, masculine, model, psychology, research, role, students

Abstract
This paper focuses on the family structure of antebellum slave households, aiming to disprove the claim that male slaves intentionally designed their families to be matriarchal, without fathers. The paper contends that least half of U.S. Southern slave families were headed by two parent households and another 12 to 15 percent consisted of one part time parent, usually from another plantation who would visit regularly. The paper also asserts that slaves developed persistent family ties despite the threat of separation by sale and forced migrations. The paper concludes that the adversities faced by generations of slaves, designed to keep them chattel and perceived as less than human, did not deter their desire to seek mates, court, marry, and have children.

From the Paper
"The master's involvement in slave marriage was dependent on his involvement within the plantation. A present master had a more active approval of slave unions but the unions were not singularly dependent upon the approval of the master. Many could and did occur without his approval but usually with his knowledge. Unfortunately, sexual exploitation of the slave woman tended to be at the heart of asking permission. The sexual exploitation of slave women, prevalent throughout the slave holding community and evident in birth records, did not deter the slave's desire to engage in a loving, respectable relationship as much as an exploitive master would have liked. Even in these cases, slave men and women sought loving relationships and marriages outside of the masters' dominance. Dictated by respect for kinship elders or out of fear of the master, slaves sought approval to marry but generally did not seek approval to court or be courted by a potential mate. Permission to marry usually came after the establishment of a relationship and according to slave narratives, tended to surprise, and could enrage a master. Harriet Jacobs' master was told of her intention to marry a man of her choosing and his threatening reply included an offer to marry one of his slaves but she stood fast against his will. "Do you suppose, sir, that a slave can have some preference about marrying? Do you suppose that all men are alike to her?...If he is a puppy then I am a puppy, for we are both of the negro race. It is right and honorable for us to love each other." "

Tags:racism, plantation, slavemaster, southern

Abstract
An analysis of the Aristotelian notions of the household, slavery, communism, and the rights of women. This paper specifically focuses on Aristotle's idea of the role of the head of the household and his ideas on the structure of the household.

From the Paper
"Aristotle notes two political communities that are "less" than the polis: the household and the village. Of these two communities, the household receives far more discussion and is the foundation of much of Aristotle's political theory. The origins of the household are found in the basic human partnership between a male and female for the sake of reproduction. The household arose from the male-female partnership and it is arranged to fill the basic needs of daily life. As well as supplying these basic needs, the most important task of the household is the education of women, children, and slaves in virtue that is conducive to living in the polis."

Tags:philosophy, plato, political, slavery, theory

Abstract
This paper establishes a model to elucidate how low-income heads-of-households (LIHOH) decide to purchase a home. The paper explains that after the decision is made, the model will predict the outcome for the homeowners when certain variables are changed, such as interest rates and income. The paper then establishes a hypothesis, proposes a way to prove the hypothesis using social science work done in previous studies, and then examines the outcome. Next, the paper examines what additional evidence might be collected in new quantitative studies to bolster or challenge the hypothesis. This paper also argues that the boom in housing ownership in the United States during the 1990s was largely driven by lower-cost loans, rather than changes in consumer preferences amongst lower-income heads of household. The paper points out that recent interest rate rises and changes in the job prospects of low-income earners in the US should predict a lower rate of house ownership in the future.

Outline:
Introduction
Hypothesis
Methodology
Income
Expectations of Income Continuation
Previous Home Ownership
Down Payment
Interest Rates
ARM's (Adjustable Rate Mortgages)
Reverse Mortgages
Increasing Housing Prices
Non-Financial Home-Buying Incentives
Completing the Model's Assumptions
Results Analysis
Critiques of this Model
Need for Further Study
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Heads of household in poor households--defined as up to two times the official US poverty level of $16,000 per household (2004) in the US, or $32,000 (DeNavas-Wait). The rate of home ownership has increased in this segment of the US population during the 1990's (Belsky E. S. and Duda 1-45). Although many LIHOH figures are clouded by the mix between Hispanic, Black and other lower-income classifications, the trend towards higher homeownership in the 1990's is clear. According to the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, more than 55 percent of lower-income households held debt in 2004, up from 45% in 1989."

Tags:money, socail, benefit, purchase, poverty

Abstract
The paper reveals that all members of female-headed households are at a higher risk than any other group to live in poverty. The paper further reveals that median family income in female-headed households is not only below the poverty threshold but is only 60 percent of the median income for husband and wife families (Walters & Abshire, 1995). The paper asserts that poverty cannot be measured solely in economic terms since there are a wide variety of social problems associated with poverty ranging from social stigma to lack of access and opportunities in the larger society. Most especially, the paper notes that poverty results in the most serious psychological distress that a single mother can experience (Williams, 2004).

From the Paper
"All members of female-headed households are at higher risk than any other group to live in poverty. Median family income in female-headed households is not only below the poverty threshold but is only 60 percent of the median income for husband and wife families (Walters & Abshire, 1995). Poverty cannot be measured solely in economic terms since there are a wide variety of social problems associated with poverty ranging from social stigma to lack of access and opportunities in the larger society. Most especially, poverty results in the most serious psychological distress that a single mother can experience (Williams, 2004). Just as poverty..."

Tags:poverty, class, race

Abstract
This paper explains that, whereas marriage used to be an institution, which helped individuals gather and maintain wealth and eventually give some of it to the government, divorce is the great disperser of wealth because two households now must be supported thus stimulating the economy. The author points out that, if both partners work, they pay more proportionally because of the marriage tax; however, if the tax payer is a single head of household, the tax rate is significantly lower than for a married individual filing a separate income tax return; single head of household parents, who fall below a certain income level, are given special tax breaks called tax incentives to help pay for childcare. This paper relates that some states, like Louisiana, have actually changed their laws so that there are two types of marriage contract: The "Death Do Us Part" marriage, which requires extensive legal maneuvering to dissolve, or the "Until We Get Tired of Each Other" marriage, which makes marriage easier dissolve. Several long quotes.

From the Paper
"There have been studies that divorced fathers buy their children more toys and take them to more places of amusements than married fathers. Divorced fathers also need a social life, so they buy newer clothing and go to events where they can meet available divorced or single women. Divorced women also tend to over indulge their children, because they always feel guilty about leaving their children with the baby sitter. Divorced women with access to childcare also date. They buy new clothes and spend money on health clubs and dieting that they not do if they were happily married. All of this buying is good for the economy. The State governments get more sales tax money, the Gross National Product keeps raising and this keeps the Federal Government happy as well."

Tags:dowry, marriage-tax, no-fault, capitalists, lawyers

Abstract
This paper shows how the single-parent family has struggled through American history and why the statistics are showing that their style of living is on the rise. It gives specific examples of single-parent black families with woman or men as the head of the household, and it also offers lots of statistics pulled from reliable research as to why these kinds of families are multiplying in our society. It also discusses in some detail the huge effect of poverty on these families even though the statistics poorly depict their lifestyles, and discusses the solution.

From the Paper
"Eighty-four percent of all black children will live in a single-parent family before they are eighteen years old (Clegg). Currently, in the black community, the birthrate of out-of-wedlock babies is sixty-nine percent, while in the white community, the statistics are edging toward twenty-five percent (Rector). Do these facts sound alarming to you? Is there something about the white community that is different from the black community? To the modern world, being a single, black parent and raising a child is not very uncommon " not to mention simply being a single-parent to begin with. We as a society like to believe that there really is no difference between black and white " that we are all equal. This may be the case, but there are still some aspects of our daily lives where black and white can be very different. The issue of race and single-parent families has been the subject of enormous controversy. The extended black family, often considered a source of strength and stability, has declined steadily since 1940, as has the white extended family. A disproportionate number of black children have been raised by single parents, a trend that can lead to family instability, poverty and welfare use. As we look at some alarming statistics, we see that the black community has indeed seen a rise in the numbers of single-parent families. The rise of single-parent families in the black community has a great impact on the lives of those children involved and also on the community around them. In the following paper, I will share with you some of the statistics that I have come across during my research on this topic, and I will also include insight on its impact on society."

Tags:African, American, black, children, couples, crime, divorce, families, family, hispanic, income, low