One-parent families in the East-Kazakhstan region Abstract This paper addresses single-parent families in the East-Kazakhstan region and their role in the development of population, as well as the analysis of extra-marital births and the factors of family dissolution, such as divorce and widowhood. The data used were taken from censuses in 1989 and 1999, vital statistics, results of surveys, adjusted data. The aim of the thesis is investigation of one-parent families' contribution to population development in the East-Kazakhstan region through analysis of their structure, size, historical and modern conditions of origin and socio-economical situation. Keywords: one-parent family, single-parent household, traditional and modern family, extra-marital birth, family dissolution, divorce, East-Kazakhstan region. Неполные семьи в Восточно-Казахстанском регионе

Single mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are likely to experience high levels of stress and be at risk for depression. However, respite care can reduce parenting stress and lower psychological distress in parents of children with disabilities. This study focused on single mothers of children with ASD and their reports of stress relative to respite care received. One hundred and twenty-two single mothers completed the Respite Care Instrument, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and Caregiver Burden Instrument. Results were mixed. Respite care was positively related to daily uplifts, but not significantly related to depression or stress. Uplifts mediated the relationship between respite care and depression, but stress did not mediate the relationship between respite care and depression, indicating uplifts were a process through which respite care had an indirect effect on depression. More than half (59.8%; n = 73) of mothers accessed respite care, most (41.0%; n = 30) being provided by a combination of sources: grandparents, extended family member, babysitter, community agency, or other. Seventy-seven percent of mothers (n = 94) were at risk for clinical depression. Findings provide evidence that single mothers of children with ASD are likely to experience depressive symptoms, access multiple sources of respite care, and be less likely to report depressive symptoms when they (a) receive respite care, and (b) report high amounts of daily uplifts. Therefore, it is important respite care be accessible and provided to single mothers of children with ASD. Recommendations for policy makers, school personnel, and research are offered.

Tyrimo tikslas - Nustatyti dvyliktokių, augančių nepilnose šeimose, savigarbos bei požiūrio į lytinius santykius ypatumus. Tyrime dalyvavo 246 dvyliktokės iš Kauno, Kaišiadorių, Kėdainių, Panevėžio apskričių. Respondenčių amžius 17-19 metų. Tiriamųjų savigarbai įvertinti buvo naudojamas daugiasluoksnis savęs vertinimo klausimynas sukurtas D.L.DuBois ir kolegų (1996), išverstas Lauros Šeibokaitės bei Gintarės Skukauskaitės bei Rosenberg (1965) savigarbos klausimynas. Požiūriui į lytinius santykius naudotas semantinio diferencialo metodas bei tyrėjos sudaryti klausimai. Savigarba tai teigiamas arba neigiamas požiūris į save (Rosenberg 1965), jos formavimasis priklauso nuo socialinės aplinkos, kurioje asmuo auga. Paauglės savigarbos formavimuisi svarbiausią vaidmenį atlieka šeima. Ankstesniuose psichologų tyrimuose pastebėti ryšiai tarp savigarbos lygio ir paauglių lytinio aktyvumo. Gauti rezultatai šių ryšių nepatvirtina. Merginos augančios nepilnose ir pilnose šeimose save vertina panašiai. Nepastebėti skirtumai tarp merginų požiūrio į lytinius santykius ir šeimos sudėties, kurioje jos auga. Gauti rezultatai patvirtina, jog lytinio gyvenimo aktyvumas glaudžiai siejasi su šeimos sudėtimi, kurioje auga merginos. Lytiškai aktyvios, pilnose šeimose augančios dvyliktokės malonia lytinio gyvenimo priežastimi įvardino intymumo poreikį :“myliu ir esu mylima“. / The aim of the study was to find the peculiarities of self-esteem and attitude toward sexual intercourse of 12th grade females, who live in one-parent family. Methods: self-esteem was measured by multidimensional Self-Esteem Questionnaire (SEQ) designed by D.L.DuBois et al. (1996), translated by L.Šeibokaitė and G. Skukauskaitė. Self-esteem questionnaire by Rosenberg (1965) was also used. Osgood's semantic differential method was used to evaluate the attitude toward the sexual intercourse. Self-esteem is positive or negative attitude to yourself (Rosenberg, 1965). The formation of the self-esteem depends on the social sphere where the person develops. The family plays the main role in the teenager’s self-esteem formation. In the former psychological researches, connections between self-esteem and teenagers sexual activity were noted. But received results don’t confirm such connections. The girls from the one-parent families or from the nuclear families assess themselves similarly. Differences between girls’ attitude toward sexual intercourse and family composition were not found too. The results proved that sexual activity is close connected with family composition. Senior sexual active females, growing in the nuclear families, named the requirement of the intimacy as the main reason of their sexual life: “I love and I am beloved”.

The thesis handles the topic of families and households from the point of view of EU-SILC, Statistika rodinných účtů and also Sčítání lidu, domů a bytů, especially from the year 2011. It discribes kinds, types of families and households and what is possible on basis of gained information about each family and household see on national as well as international level. Another part of the thesis is focused on definition of poverty limit and it´s impact risks on particular family types mainly in Czech households. On the base of previous development, the future development tendency of number and structure of households and families is mentioned and is expressed by three projections concerning the household development.

This thesis discuss various steps how institution of family policy in France and the Czech Republic influences the social status of single mothers, or how it affects their standard of living an opportunities. The thesis is based on a comparative analysis of two measures. The first one concerns possibilities of work-life balance, the second one means of prevention from poverty. The key factor influencing work-life balance is the interplay between maternity/ parental leave, public childcare accesibility and flexible working time practice. The character and availability of allowances completes the picture of what the prevailing gender principles in each family policy are. Hence, it also demonstrates the situation of single mothers. Key words: one-parent family, signle mothers, labor market, flexibility, discrimination, poverty, social policy, family policy, work-life balance, maternity/ parental leave, childcare, gender