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One hundred and eighteen female single parents completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and a personal questionnaire at six-month intervals over a one-year period. Self-Esteem levels and related social and economic factors were explored to ascertain: (a) levels of self-esteem maintained by single parents as length of status increase; (b) social, economic and personal perceptions related to familial status; (c) associations between the remaining female single parents level of self-esteem, length of single parent status and selected social and economic variables. The study included female single parents from a large urban area. They were English speaking, living alone with their children and were single parents as a result of marriage dissolution. The participants were not involved in either individual or family therapy. Data analysis included the reliability of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and repeated measures analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis to determine the stability of self-esteem over time. Discriminate function analysis was used to explore potential relationships between self-esteem, selected socio-economic conditions and personal perceptions of familial status. Test-retest reliability scores of self-esteem resulted in a Cronbachs Alpha = .88. Internal consistency computed on the data resulted in a Guttman coefficient of .89. There were no significant changes in self-esteem over the one-year period of the study. Results of the discriminate function procedure identified eight characteristics as significant discriminators between low, medium and high self-esteem. These include income, age, education, and length of single-parent status of the single parent, as well as their children's school progress, achievement behavior, and related amount of discipline. This study supports the notion that how the single parents view themselves is to a large extent dependent on their parenting ability and self-initiative. Recommendations for further research include a follow-up study to examine the changes in self-esteem over extended periods of time and an investigation of specific child rearing techniques that enhance self-esteem.

This paper uses the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to compare academic achievement of children in two-parent, single mother and single father families. Academic achievement is measured by a math and reading composite score from a standardized achievement test. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models are used to test three competing theories of children's academic achievement: economic theory, individualistic perspective of gender and evolutionary parental investment theory. Findings do not support the evolutionary parental investment theory. The economic theory, which states that single fathers are more capable of offering economic resources to their children compared to single mothers, is supported. This economic advantage of children in single father families allows children in this family type to achieve at the same level as (keep up with) children in single mother families. The individual perspective of gender, which states that children in single mother families fare better because women fulfill the caregiver and homemaker roles, is supported by this study. It is also possible that other factors play a role in differing levels of academic achievement between children in different family types. / Department of Sociology

Thesis (M.A.)--International School of Theology, 1987. / "A journal article ..." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-53).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [172]-179).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-169).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-169).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-169).

Thesis (M.A.)--International School of Theology, 1987. / "A journal article ..." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-53).