Should you become a lone parent?

Question 1

Overarching statement

Answer 1

As long as the child doesn’t suffer any conflict, separation, stress or emotional hardship because the mother is alone - it should be okay. There is evidence to suggest that child disadvantage from only having one parent is due to other factors, so if you sort these out, then your child will be fine. As well as this, if they become a lone parent from the start, you will be okay

Question 2

Main point 1

Answer 2

It is due to financial hardship that there are issues - not having enough money, causing stress

Question 3

Main point 1 - evidence 1

Answer 3

Kiernan 1996
daughters of non-employed, lone mothers were less likely to have qualifications, be more economically disadvantaged and more likely to have become young mothers. However, young women from lone mother families when the mother was in employment had similar experiences to those from intact dual earner families

Longitudinal survey - followed children from birth into adulthood
Found an interaction

Question 4

Main point 1 - evidence 2

Answer 4

Shinn 1978
poor performance among single parent families is due to financial hardship, anxiety and low levels of parent-child interaction

Would need a longitudinal study to see if the effects carry on

Question 5

Main point 1 - evidence 3

Answer 5

Spencer 2005
the effects of lone parenthood was mediated through material hardship and maternal smoking - children were more likely to have respiratory problems and more likely to smoke themselves

10,335 children
shows importance of social context in relation to maternal smoking - objective measure of respiratory problems

Question 6

Main point 2

Answer 6

Some of the problems which occur are due to marital disadvantage - so you will be okay if you aren’t going through a breakup

Question 7

Main point 2 - evidence 1

Answer 7

Spencer 2005
Lone parenthood was associated with increased risk of education and health problems and anti-social behaviour among girls an boys, but this was explained by marital disadvantage

data was from 15,636 children aged 0-18 years old
lots of variables were controlled for
would’ve been better if it was a longitudinal study

Question 8

Main point 3

Answer 8

If they never had a father from the start, it has no impact

Question 9

Main point 3 - evidence 1

Answer 9

Golombok, Tasker and Murray 1997
lesbian mothers and single mothers were compared with two-parent heterosexual families using interviews and questionnaires. They were more securely attached to their mothers and experienced more warmth. There were no differences found in their emotional and behavioural problems between the groups - not disadvantaged at all, in terms of their relationship with their mum or emotional well being

compared 3 groups
used both teacher and mother measures - standardised tests
for example, separation anxiety test

Question 10

Main point 3 - evidence 2

Answer 10

MacCallum and Golombok 2008
follow up of the children of lesbian and single heterosexual mothers at early adolscence - no differences were found in their social and emotional development - but boys showed more feminine characteristics - doesn’t matter if you haven’t had a father from birth

follow up of the children when they were 12 - shows it is long term effects
longitudinal

Question 11

Conclusion

Answer 11

Your child will be okay if they have no father, as long as they don’t experience any negative consequences