He, Xiaoyue. / "July 2011." / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- Theoretical Model --- p.4 / Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.7 / Chapter 3. --- Data and Methodology --- p.12 / Chapter 3.1. --- Data --- p.12 / Chapter 3.2. --- Methodology --- p.13 / Chapter 3.3. --- Definition of Key Variables --- p.14 / Chapter 4. --- Descriptive Results of DID Analysis --- p.15 / Chapter 5. --- Regression Approach --- p.20 / Chapter 6. --- Time Allocation of Single Mothers of Differing Education Levels --- p.25 / Chapter 7. --- Changes in Leisure Inequality Among Single Mothers --- p.31 / Chapter 8. --- Single Mothers by Demographic Characteristics --- p.33 / Chapter 8.1. --- Single Mothers by Race --- p.33 / Chapter 8.2. --- Single Mothers by Age --- p.35 / Chapter 9. --- Discussion and Policy Implications --- p.36 / Chapter 10. --- Conclusion and Directions for Further Research --- p.39 / Tables and Figures --- p.42 / Appendices --- p.62 / References --- p.82

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between family/home satisfaction and job satisfaction of single working mothers with at least one child under the age of 18 living at home. The principal objectives were to identify the stressful situations in the lives of working single mothers and the factors that contributed to home satisfaction and work satisfaction. Data were gathered by survey questionnaire from single working mothers presently living in Iron County, Utah. Factor analysis was used to reduce data into home satisfaction and work satisfaction factors that were analyzed by multiple regression to determine the variance they explain. Stepwise multiple regression identified 1) family interaction, 2) income, housing, and health, and 3) family diet and money management as the home and family factors that predict satisfaction with home life. This multiple regression identified 1) family interaction, 2) time commitments, 3) income, housing, and health, 4) family and community support, and 5) family diet and money management as the home and family factors that can predict satisfaction with work. The work factors that can predict home life satisfaction were found to be 1) work schedule, 2) work environment, and 3 ) salary and advancement. Work factors that predict satisfaction with work were 1) breaks and control, 2) schedule and salary, and 3) commuting and friends at work. Working single mothers identified single parenting, financial problems, major changes in work or family, and problems with children as the situations causing stress in their lives. A statistically significant relationship was found with income and 1) education, 2) perception of enough income, 3) satisfaction with home life, and 4) work satisfaction.

This research study was conducted as a qualitative case study of five resilient single African-American mothers of successful young sons who attended an elementary school in a large urban school district. The study was designed to hear the voices of these mothers and their lived experiences using racial socialization to influence school readiness and academic achievement in their young sons. The intent of this case study was to broaden the limited qualitative research base on this population and inform administrators, educators, and other single parents about factors that may contribute to more positive academic outcomes for African-American males. This qualitative study used the actual words of the participants to tell their stories, as it provided rich descriptions of their lives. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and the mothers' responses shaped the phenomena under study. Analysis occurred immediately after each interview, and analytic conclusions were formulated by coding and categorizing ideas or statements of experiences from the data to ensure that important constructs, themes, and patterns were noted. The results of this study yielded the following as it related to the voices of these resilient single African-American mothers: (1) these single mothers believe that their ability to overcome adversity positively influences their son's academic success; (2) these mothers also believe their upbringing has influenced their parenting style; (3) family, church members, and friends play an important role in supporting these mothers and sons; (4) church attendance and faith in God help these mothers to persevere in difficult times; and (5) racial socialization is a tool these mothers used to help their sons to be successful in school.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-145). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed March 3, 2010). Advisor: Steve O. Michael. Keywords: young mother's; college persistence; college experience; teen parent; minority college persistence; under-represented in college; persistence. Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-162).

Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Restricted until October 2003. Bibliography: leaves 199-218.

No description available.

A single mother is defined as a mother with one or more children, who is neither married nor living with a partner. The second demographic transition characterized by the decline of marital fertility and an increase in non-marital childbearing has led to increased numbers of single mothers in western countries (Heuveline, Timberlake and Furstenberg, 2003). A recent study of families living in greater Johannesburg and Soweto conducted by the centre for Reproductive health at Witwatersrand University reports an increase of single mothers in families of all racial groups in South Africa (Keeton, 2004). Single mothers are associated with higher levels of poverty and dependence on welfare (Fitzgerald and Ribar, 2004), which may affect the wellbeing of their children. The study introduces two theories, modernization and rationale choice theory that could be used to explain the high incidence of single mothers in South Africa. The modernization theory predicts that the increase in out-of-wedlock births is a result of modernization and westernization. On the other hand, proponents of the rational choice theory argue that premarital pregnancies are a rational decision to prove fecundity and facilitate marriage. Some authors have found an association between the rational choice theory and dependence theory, according to which poor young women exchange sexual favours for gifts to obtain financial support outside marriage (Al-Azar, 1999). While both theories inform the study and contribute to the conceptual framework, the rational choice theory is argued to be the more appropriate to explain the increase in number of single mothers in South Africa. The 2002 General Household Survey (GHS) is used to obtain the count of single mothers and a profile of their characteristics. Other surveys questionnaires have been inspected to find out whether it is possible to measure the number of single mothers in the country. The author found that, with the exception of the 1998 Demographic Household Survey (DHS), the 1996 census and one of the October household surveys (OHS), it is not possible to provide an accurate count of single mothers using South Africa's national surveys. Reasons for this limitation are provided in the paper. This study focuses on women aged between 18 and 49 years. To obtain the count of single mothers, it was first established whether a woman was a mother of a child younger than 18 years who lives with her. The next step was to establish the marital status of the woman and to find out if she had a partner living with her. In this study it is important to distinguish between de jure and de facto single mothers. A de jure single mother living with her child(ren), is unmarried and does not have a partner. De jure single mothers are compared to other types of mothers including married mothers with father present (partnered mothers), married mothers with father absent (de facto single mothers), mothers with children older than 18 years or mothers not staying with their children (other mothers) and women who do not have children (childless women). Using the 2002 GHS the paper provides the count and some key characteristics of single mothers, including social and economic characteristics of education level and employment status. These characteristics of single mothers and women are profiled at individual and household level. The results of the analysis show that the prevalence of single mothers in South Africa is high in relation to other sub-Saharan African countries. The study supports other research that there is no significant difference between marital and non-marital fertility because the proportion of de jure single mothers is almost similar to the proportion of married mothers with father present (partnered mothers). This study finds that single mothers occur in higher proportions among African/black and coloured populations and are on average younger than 25 years of age. Reasons suggested for the high incidence of single mothers include teenage pregnancy, poverty and unemployment. The groups most affected by poverty and unemployment are African/blacks and coloureds. When comparing socio-economic characteristics of de jure single mothers and other types of mothers -for instance partnered, de facto single mothers and childless women - the study findings indicate that de jure single mothers are poorer than married mothers for most of the indicators. However, there is also a group of married mothers where the father is absent (de facto single mothers) who also show poor statistics compared to partnered mothers. Partnered mothers are better off in most all the indicators used in this study. A key limitation of this study is that it is cross sectional and therefore does not account for rapid changes in distribution and characteristics of mothers. This makes it somewhat difficult to establish whether models of the modernization or rational choice can explain the high incidence of single mothers. The paper concludes with recommendations and a discussion on some of the important implications that the relatively high proportion of single mothers has for poverty levels of women in South Africa and the effect this might have on their children. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Single parenting is rapidly becoming a growing trend in society. In South Africa an estimated 30% of households are headed by single parents. The key aim of the study was to establish whether single parents prioritized their careers over children. In an endeavour to determine the factors that motivate and disrupt single mothers in the workplace, a sample of 146 subjects was selected utilising non-probability sampling. Non-probability sampling was utilized to create the sample because there was no method of determining the precise size of the population from which it was going to be drawn. Two types of non-probability sampling were utilized to select the sample, namely purposive and snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 45 parents aged 21-24; 51 parents aged 25-34 and 50 parents aged 35-49. Data was collected using structured and self-completion questionnaires which were administered via e-mail. The analysis revealed that parents aged 25-49 had adequate economic resources and showed more concern for their children‟s academic achievements than younger parents, although not much assistance was given to their children in the area of homework. The study found that younger parents‟ economic conditions were inadequate and these parents did not participate in their child‟s school activities nor did they assist them with homework. A salient feature of this study is that young single parents aged 21-24 showed less concern for their children‟s education and well-being. The primary recommendation of this study is that members of society should wait until they have stable careers and a stable economic situation before they start families, as this will have positive ripple effects on the lifestyle they lead, irrespective of whether they are single parents or not. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, August, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-92).