Magister Artium - MA / This thesis explored the resources available for care-giving in chronically poor female-headed households. It investigated the relationship between resources as enabling in the practice of care and the choices that women can consequently make in light of the multiple roles that they play as workers, as mothers and as significant people in female-headed households. / South Africa

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Models of parenting are becoming increasingly complex. The domain has evolved from a simple parent behavior - child behavior paradigm to one which considers systemic influences. Contextual variables, such as life stress and depressed mood, are beginning to receive much attention in the literature. Also, researchers have noted the importance of measuring parent cognition (i.e., perceptions) and affect in addition to acquiring information regarding parent behavior. The present study was designed to explore the role played by two levels of stress; global life events and daily hassles, and by depressed mood, in determining maternal affective, behavioral and cognitive responses to child behavior. A community sample of 66 single mothers participated in the study. Mothers read 12 descriptions of child behavior, each embedded in one of three contexts of stress (i.e., global life event context, daily hassles context, no stress context). The sample was divided into three groups (n=22) on the basis of scores on a standard mood instrument. Only those mothers who received scores in the two extreme groups (i.e., depressed mood and nondepressed mood) were included in the main analyses. A two-way repeated measures MANOVA revealed a main effect for stress, but not for mood, when the BDI was used to create the groups. When the CES-D was utilized, a main effect for stress, and for mood, was detected. No significant stress by mood interaction was observed. Follow-up univariate ANOVAS and multiple comparision tests revealed that the daily hassles context had a greater influence on maternal responses to child behavior than did the global life events context. That is, mothers were more affectively aroused, indicated a more intense anticipated behavioral reaction and perceived the child behavior to be more deviant, in the daily hassles condition compared to the other conditions. In addition, mothers who reported more depressed mood indicated greater affective responsiveness to the child behavior vignettes than mothers who did not report depressed mood. The results are discussed in terms of empirical and applied implications. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Current social services provided in Canada for low-income women are primarily 'crisis management' in nature as they almost exclusively provide safe housing, adequate nutrition or employment training, and many are under severe financial pressure due to a shifting public policy. As a result, services offered for single mothers living below the poverty line rarely deal with health promotion in terms of physical activity, even though it has been demonstrated that socioeconomic status is a key determinant of health (Frankish, Milligan & Reid, 1996). Although there are many positive mental and physical health benefits associated with regular physical activity (King 1991), its organizational context remains problematic for those who live in poverty and are unable or unwilling to conform to dominant expectations inherent with the consumption of modern forms of physical activity. A moral reasoning tone pervades prescriptions for maintaining and improving health, and those unable to achieve and maintain good health are considered individually responsible, thus obscuring organizational and structural factors that limit involvement. The purpose of this case study of the YWCA was to examine the provision and consumption of health and wellness services for low-income single mothers. Research questions were posed in four areas: i) what meanings do low-income single mothers and YWCA service providers associate with the provision of health and wellness services; ii) how are health and wellness services located within the political, social and economic context of the YWCA; iii) are there points of disjuncture between the provision and consumption of health and wellness services for low-income single mothers; and iv) if points of disjuncture are uncovered, what are the possibilities for emancipatory change in service provision? Several bodies of literature were reviewed to inform the study: social construction of poverty, ideologies of health and physical activity, feminist organization theory, and feminist action research (FAR). FAR is a research process that merges participatory action research with critical feminist theory. Key principles of feminist action research include: 1) gender as a central piece to emerging explanatory frameworks (Maguire, 1987); 2) collaboration and negotiation at all stages of the research process between the researcher, the service providers and the research participants (Green et al., 1995); 3) empowerment through giving control of the research process and decision making to the research participant, while deconstructing the power structures associated with social class (Fals-Borda, 1991; Fawcett, 1991); and 4) social/organizational action and emancipatory change enabled through the democratic production of knowledge (Green et al., 1995). The research methodology involved an examination of: 1) The meanings and experiences of eleven low-income single mothers participating in the FOCUS Pre-employment Training Program which has a wellness component. The data collection strategies included focus groups; a validation meeting the original participants; observations during group meetings and program sessions; and informal discussions. 2) The meanings and experiences of five service providers who were either facilitators of FOCUS or occupied managment positions in the YWCA. The data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-focused interviews; observations of program meetings, group and informal discussions; and a final meeting to discuss potential change. 3) Relevant documents, including brochures, pamphlets, reports and promotional flyers to obtain background and contextual information about the YWCA. The data was analyzed using inductive analysis and the qualitative software program, Q.S.R. NUD.IST. The overall finding was that neither the service providers nor the single mothers viewed wellness as a priority. At the organizational level, the explanation for this finding was that physical activity opportunities were not valued by the funders, whereas employment training was their primary concern. The YWCA's upscale health and wellness services, which offered another opportunity for single mothers to participate, catered on a fee-for-service basis to middle and upper income women and men and pursued a market-driven ideology towards service provision, thus making low-income single mothers' involvement less likely. The social, economic and political context in which FOCUS was situated had a profound influence on the nature of service delivery, and funding constraints were a source of stress for the service providers and infringed on the nature and scope of the services offered for the single mothers. Themes related to points of disjuncture included the service providers' attitudes towards the provision of health and wellness services. Some providers believed that within the confines of the organizational structure and the FOCUS program guidelines, the physical activity opportunities offered to the women were sufficient. Conversely, other providers believed that the organization could take a more active and critical role in determining routes for change and establishing stronger connections between health and wellness activities and the other components of the FOCUS program. All of the service providers alluded to the importance of the women's input and the "organic growth" of the program, however the program's strict curriculum and scarce evaluations resulted in a non-collaborative approach to service delivery. From the single mothers' persepctives, stereotypes of the lazy and unmotivated "welfare single mother" inhited their involvement in community life, including organized forms of physical activity (Fraser & Gordon, 1994; Lord, 1994; Belle, 1990). The women reported experiences with discrimination, a cycle of poverty, complications with social assistance, social stigmas, and childcare responsibilities as their major constraints. Three main reasons for the women's lack of participation were their low sense of entitlement towards physical activity, their ambivalence towards their bodies, and little access to wellness facilities. However, involvement in health and wellness activities was a low-priority for the FOCUS participants, though some of the single mothers mentioned the desirability of incorporating more regular activity sessions into the FOCUS curriculum. Other tensions arose between the realities and ideals of feminist organizing. Distinctions based on class, ethnicity and age separated the upper managerial service providers, the on-site facilitators, and the women accessing the program, perpetuating an elitist, non-collaborative and hierarchical organizationial structure. Based on the single mothers and the service providers' suggestions, four major recommendations for change were provided. First, the participants should be central to and fully collaborative in the organizational processes of the YWCA. Second, if the women involved in the program value physical activity, they should determine ways in which it can become a part of their daily reality. Third, for those involved with the planning and implementation of the FOCUS program, the role of the funders vis a vis the needs of the participants should be determined, and a consistent and 'women-centered' approach to service delivery established. Finally, the YWCA's approach to wellness service delivery should be evaluated and re-conceptualized so that it fulfills and is congruent with the YWCA mission statement. What remained unexplored by the service providers was the potential for the women to redefine hegemonic notions of physical activity (Birrell & Richter, 1987) and to be involved in a meaningful and self-expressive form of activity (Hargreaves, 1990). By listening to the various perspectives and situating experiences within the organizational, political, economic and social contexts, this study provided the beginnings of a critial understanding of the tensions involved in women organizing for women to promote physical activity. / Education, Faculty of / Kinesiology, School of / Graduate

This paper is focused on the development of public policy in relation to single mothers from 1989 to 2015. Specifically, it focuses on the legislative documents, which are related directly to single mothers, which legislative documents are affecting them, how they deal with their situation and what benefits they bring to them. The paper also describes the evolution of these documents over time, specifically from 1989 to 2015. It concerns also the legislation which was accepted or cancelled and the whole background of these documents origin. The core of the empirical part is analysis of legislative documents affecting single mothers and their families and analysis of stenographic records of Parliament's meetings. The outlined development is explained in the context of theory of social constructions of target populations, depoliticization theory and path dependence theory. The aim of this paper is to find out how the situation of single mothers has developed since 1989 and whether it is improving or getting worse. The assumption is there has been a transformation since 1989, from socialist greater protection on the labor market and greater social support to extinction of single mothers as a specific target group of social policy.

Three years ago, the Ministry of Justice in the Czech Republic stated in judicial practice a recommending table whose intention was to unify the decision-making practice of courts in determining of alimony. The table should rectify a vague treatment of the maintenance obligations, guarantee a legal certainty for all participants and predictability of decisions. The alimony often covers only a part of all costs for a child under conditions that it is paid. The situation is even more problematic because the single-parent families with minors usually belong to the households which are mostly threatened by poverty. These families are most often headed by woman, who bears the brunt of caretaker and breadwinner roles. Their role is also influenced by the disadvantageous position at a labour market. The result of all these factors is usually a feminization of poverty and transmission of the standard of living from a mother to a child. My research interviews were focused on the fact if the table is used in practice. I evaluate its efficiency and represent modifications suggested by the courts. The analysis showed that not all courts use the table or use it at different levels. It is a consequence of reading of the word "recommending". This fact indicates a neglect of any need to use and a broader context...

Over the past decade, policymakers have promoted marriage as a pathway to improve child outcomes in single-parent households. However, previous research on single mothers who later married in the United States has failed to examine how the structural advantages and disadvantages of race influence post-birth marriages and the advantage they may confer. I investigate how white advantage—the human- and social-capital benefits that come from being a white individual—acts as a resource distributed differently across three couple configurations. I predict that having access to white advantage via a white parent will improve child academic achievement. Using the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study 1998 (ECLS-K 1998) and the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study 2011 (ECLS-K 2011), I compare children from white monoracial marriages, white-Hispanic interracial marriages, and Hispanic monoracial marriages. My results suggest that white advantage in the home increases access to critical resources that improve child academic achievement. Additionally, I find further evidence of Hispanic disadvantage as children from Hispanic monoracial marriages score lower on math and reading tests than children from white monoracial marriages, even after accounting for resource and demographic factors.

Girls from father-absent families tend to form low levels of trust that may dictate relationships throughout life, including progression into leadership roles. There is evidence to suggest that girls raised in father-absent families fail to reach their potential, and therefore public programs that address the development of strong interpersonal and leadership skills would enhance these capacities. Unfortunately, public programming gaps exist for girls raised in father-absent families that would provide the skills needed to be effective leaders in their schools, communities, and careers. Using House's path-goal leadership theory as the framework, this phenomenological study explored how girls from father-absent families developed the skills to lead and what factors the women perceived to be contributors or barriers to their development as organization leaders. A sample of 10 women who were raised in father-absent families, and who held leadership positions in public or nonprofit sectors in the southeastern area of the United States participated in the in-depth interviews that generated data for this study. The data were coded and analyzed using a modified van Kaam method. Findings suggest that lack of trust hindered the transition and development into a leadership role, as did the leadership style of the participant. Alternatively, participants reported that their sense of resiliency and spiritual connections were factors that helped in their development as leaders. These results may contribute to social change by providing policymakers, leaders, and service organizations recommendations that will encourage support for public programming initiatives for girls from father-absent families.

Fågelbärsträdet 12 is a property on John Ericssonsgatan on the area of Kungsholmen in Stockholm. It has been emptied since 2018 and undergoing the application process for demolition due to erroneous use of aluminate cement during its construction in the 1930’s, making the structure weak and at risk of falling down.  In this project, the site is reused and reinforced to accommodate a collective housing for single mothers with their children, and elderly. By reusing an existing building, the question regarding the life cycle of building was touched. Most often, proprietors decide upon demolition for economic gain which mean throwing away energy and resources used to build the building, and only to build a new one.  Furthermore, the proximity of the site to the iconic Markelius Kollektivhus (which is just next door), gave an opportunity to revitalize the concept of collective living to modern day society. Using collective living as a tool, social and economic sustainability was also taken into consideration. Through a collective, a community within the building can easily flourish and become a support system both for all the residents.  The result of the project is the reinforcement of the existing load-bearing walls, a new entrance from the courtyard, and new co-living spaces on the upper floors. There are social spaces accessible to the public on the ground floor (restaurant and youth recreation space), and collective activity rooms on the upper floors for the residents to use.

Raising a family as a single parent is difficult at best. As an LDS single parent, these difficulties take on a unique challenge. The purpose of this project is to offer specific, LDS related guidelines to assist the LDS single parent mother in strengthening her family and thus acquiring the skills needed in handling the unique challenge of raising a family in a gospel oriented society. A variety of resources were used to include theorists, practicioners, scriptures, and personal experiences. Examples and case studies demonstrate the integration of gospel principles and family practices as they relate to LDS single parent families.