Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1986. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #036-0023. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 19).

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

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

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 19).

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature, 2006. / Colored illustrations in electronic copy only. Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-142).

Although the single-parent family is becoming an increasingly common family structure, it is associated with a great many hardships. Owing to the heavy responsibilities which fall on single parents, most fail to meet all of the needs of their children, particularly with respect to the financial needs which are entailed by providing educational necessities, safe, stable and permanent accommodation, adequate food and nutrition and healthcare. This study adopted the parental loss perspective, the economic hardship perspective and the interparental conflict perspective in investigating the experiences of young adults who were raised in single-parent families. A qualitative approach was adopted to conduct the research and data was collected from 26 male and female participants between the ages of 22 and 39 years who resided within the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. The researcher sought permission to conduct this study from all the community leaders including the councillors and chiefs, thereby acquiring the first referrals. The study made use of purposive sampling and snowballing to select the research sample. The data was collected by using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and analysed through the use of thematic analysis. The principal findings of the study indicate that although children who are raised in single-parent homes can attain high levels of education and have solid functional relationships in later life, a lack of finance and active parental involvement in their educational activities and social lives can serve to limit their development. As single-mother households face more economic hardships than any other family structures, financial assistance from both the government and their communities would undoubtedly increase the likelihood of children in single-mother families attaining their true academic potential. In addition, free counselling services would also help children who are forced to live under these circumstances overcome the emotional burden which inevitably accompanies either losing or being separated from one parent.

The single-parent family can no longer be viewed as a non-traditional family type. As more single-parent families become prevalent in our society, interest in this family type has increased. Research associated with single-parent families often focus on the pathology associated with single-parent families. It is apparent that single-parent households, whether headed by a mother or father often have more to deal with than the traditional two-parent family. However, as a single-parent herself, the researcher also knows that this family type has much to offer. This research is undertaken in an exploratory and interpretive manner to illuminate the influence which the extended family have on the social and moral development of the child in the single-parent family. The researcher, just like Monama (2007:iv) before her, wishes to elevate the view of single-parents from the stereotypical victims to responsible archetypes. As this research is undertaken with the eco-systemic perspective of Bronfenbrenner as theoretical orientation, it therefore focuses on the systems in which the child is nested and more specifically the extended family as part of the child’s microsystem. This research aims to be beneficial to single-parents, families, members of community organizations, educators and other allied professionals.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / The goal of this study was to investigate how single parenting is perceived within the context of the churches in Kuils River and to establish if any support structures are in place to assist single parents. This research was confined to the Kuils River community and was conducted in three churches of different denominations. A qualitative approach in the form of an exploratory study was used to conduct this research. Participants were recruited from the three churches in Kuils River. Purposive sampling allowed the researcher to recruit suitable participants, comprising single mothers and fathers (20 years old and above) who attended church as well as the respective church leaders. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with these single parents and church leaders. Data was manually transcribed and analysed by means of thematic analysis. Ethical approval was sought from the University’s Ethics Committee and permission was granted by the respective church leaders. Participants were informed and assured of confidentiality, anonymity and that their participation in the study was completely voluntary. Informed consent was obtained and participants were informed of their rights to withdraw from the study. The findings indicated that single parents with immediate family obtained support through their informal support networks, while those without immediate family relied on the church for support. The findings also indicated that while the church provided support to a certain extent, the type of support offered did not fulfil the needs of single-parent families, and that the church should be doing more to support and accommodate single parents. While the church and the church leaders prided themselves on embracing and displaying non-discriminatory attitudes towards single parents, stigma, shame, feelings of inadequacy and failure to acknowledge single parents in the congregation has caused single parents to feel excluded, morally inferior and alienated within the church.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of housing- and neighborhood-related deficits and stress in female heads of single-parent households. The main objectives were to determine: (1) if a correlation existed between the characteristics of the housing and neighborhood occupied by single-parent households and the number of deficits they reported; (2) if a correlation existed between the number of housing and neighborhood deficits and the amount of stress reported; and (3) what specific housing and neighborhood deficits were significantly associated with stress. A proportionate sample was drawn systematically from the 1983 school census data of Roanoke County and the independent city of Roanoke, Virginia. A self administered questionnaire was developed, pretested, and mailed to 1000 mothers of elementary school aged children and 162 usable responses were obtained. The Langner 22-item Index of Mental Illness was used to measure stress. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance, linear regression, and multiple regression with controls for the effect of extraneous variables on stress. Significant differences were found between the number of deficits reported and several characteristics of the respondents’ housing, including the type of dwelling, length of tenancy, method of housing payment, and dwelling satisfaction. A significant positive relationship was also found between the number of housing- and neighborhood-related deficits and the stress level of the respondents. Twelve of the 48 possible housing deficits were significantly related to stress (p < .01). These included inadequate size of rooms, inadequate space for family activities, entertaining, or children’s activities in the kitchen, no separate bedroom for the parent, lack of freedom to make changes in the Interior of the dwelling, inadequate Indoor storage, hard—to clean materials on the floors and in the bathroom, bedrooms not large enough for needed furnishings, no assigned parking space, and lack of privacy for family members. Four of the 21 possible neighborhood deficits were significantly related to stress (p < .01). These included inadequate police surveillance, lack of social acceptance of the single-parent lifestyle, and neighborhoods which were not clean or were not pleasant and attractive looking. / Ph. D.