Single Parent Families

Question 1

what are the trends?

Answer 1

•22% of all families are now SPF, 1 in 4 children lives with a single parent
•over 90% of SPF are headed by women
•until the 90s divorced women were the biggest group of lone mothers
•from the 90s single women became the biggest group of lone mothers
•a child living with a single parent is twice as likely to be in poverty than a child living with two parents

Question 2

reasons for increase in single parent families

Answer 2

CPOW and increase in divorce

Question 3

CPOW

Answer 3

women’s greater financial independence means they can afford to be a single parent by choice. increasing welfare benefits allow people to leave their partner even if they don’t earn enough to support a child alone.

Question 4

increase in divorce

Answer 4

separation leaves more single parents due to many children staying with one parent predominantly the woman, partly due to decline in stigma because it is no longer frowned upon in society to raise a child as a single parent

Question 5

reasons why single parent families are often female headed

Answer 5

courts and impact of feminism

Question 6

courts

Answer 6

•mothers tend to gain cost of children during a divorce likely due to socialisation as many believe women are naturally suited to an expressive or nurturing role

Question 7

impact of feminism

Answer 7

•SPFs female-headed bc mothers are single by choice so may not want to cohabit or marry
•women may actively choose to limit their fathers involvement - Renvoize - professional women were able to support their child without their fathers involvement.

Question 8

single parenthood, the welfare state and poverty

Answer 8

•Charles Murray sees the growth of single parent families is bc of the overgenerous welfare state providing benefits for unmarried mothers and their children.
•he sees this as a perversion incentive which rewards irresponsible behaviour such as having children without being able to provide for them.
•the welfare state has created a dependency culture - people rely on the state and the government instead of working.
•resulting in the underclass
•his solution is to abolish welfare benefits, reducing dependency culture and single parent families.