Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aim of this study was to investigate the emotional experiences of adolescents from single-parent families; the primary aim being to determine whether adolescents display emotional experiences that differ from those of adolescents from both-parent families (intact families). Literature reveals that single parenting is strongly associated with an increased risk of negative social, behavioural and emotional outcomes ( Callister, Burks, & Suart 2006; Ge, Conger, & Eelder, 2005). A quasi-experimental design was adopted for this study. A sample of one hundred learners in grade 12 at one of the Bizana senior secondary schools was selected for this study. Their ages ranged from 16yrs to 18yrs. Sample selection was purposive. Of the 100 learners that were selected, half of them were from-single-parent families and the other half was from both-parent families. Each of these learners was asked to complete a questionnaire that would objectively assess them on six dimensions of psychological well-being. Ryff’s 18 item psychological well-being questionnaire was used. The six dimensions of psychological well-being, namely autonomy (a), personal growth (pg), environmental mastery (em), purpose in life (pl), positive relations with others (pr) and self-acceptance (sa).

Divorce can be seen as one of the major causes of single-parent households (Janzen & Harris, 1997:134). Among the obvious difficulties families face as a result of divorce, other difficulties such as lack of time for family bonding and family leisure directly affect the well-being of the entire single-parent family (Arnold et al., 2008:84; Hornberger et al., 2010:158). Families form the foundation of society and the most important relationship in a family is that between the parents. If this relationship is strong, the rest of the relationships in the family will fall into place (Fields & Casper, 2001; Hornberger et al., 2010:143). It is important for the parents to have a strong relationship with each other, since this is a child’s first example of what a healthy relationship should be like. Therefore the relationship between parents could be seen as the base for the relationship between parent and child (Leman, 2000:164). Shaw and Dawson (2001:228) conclude that some parents do not participate in leisure activities for enjoyment, nor is it intrinsically motivated; parents see it as a responsibility and duty while they are feeling frustrated by doing something they wish not to. Therefore the purpose of this study was to firstly review the literature to determine whether it supports the usage of a leisure-based programme to strengthen the relationship between divorced single parents and their children; secondly, to explore and describe the role of a leisure-based programme in developing attitudes as well as in strengthening relationships between single parents and their children. The two-fold research objectives were studied by means of two different strategies. The first was a literature review done to analyse the research problem. Books, journals, dissertations, theses and Internet sources published between 1993 and 2011 were used to give a theoretical exposition of this study. Research concluded that leisure programmes have the potential of developing parent-child relationships. A qualitative research method was applied to research the second purpose of this study. Two divorced single-parent families participated in this ethnographic research study. Data was gathered by means of participant observation, field-notes and a semi-structured interview with each individual family member (De Vos, 2005:296; Veal, 2006:386). The researcher worked through the process of open-coding and then two main themes were identified during content analysis. The first was attitudes which had its own set of categories, namely self-esteem and self-empowerment and motivation. The second theme was relationships consisting of communication, problem solving, respect and trust. It could be concluded that if the elements in the themes are developed it would lead to the enhancement of the main theme. As a result of families participating in the leisure-based programme it was established that the development of self-esteem and self-empowerment as well as motivation led to the improvement of attitudes. Similarly, the enhancement of communication, problem solving, respect and trust contributed to the improvement of relationships. / Thesis (MA (Recreational Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Divorce can be seen as one of the major causes of single-parent households (Janzen & Harris, 1997:134). Among the obvious difficulties families face as a result of divorce, other difficulties such as lack of time for family bonding and family leisure directly affect the well-being of the entire single-parent family (Arnold et al., 2008:84; Hornberger et al., 2010:158). Families form the foundation of society and the most important relationship in a family is that between the parents. If this relationship is strong, the rest of the relationships in the family will fall into place (Fields & Casper, 2001; Hornberger et al., 2010:143). It is important for the parents to have a strong relationship with each other, since this is a child’s first example of what a healthy relationship should be like. Therefore the relationship between parents could be seen as the base for the relationship between parent and child (Leman, 2000:164). Shaw and Dawson (2001:228) conclude that some parents do not participate in leisure activities for enjoyment, nor is it intrinsically motivated; parents see it as a responsibility and duty while they are feeling frustrated by doing something they wish not to. Therefore the purpose of this study was to firstly review the literature to determine whether it supports the usage of a leisure-based programme to strengthen the relationship between divorced single parents and their children; secondly, to explore and describe the role of a leisure-based programme in developing attitudes as well as in strengthening relationships between single parents and their children. The two-fold research objectives were studied by means of two different strategies. The first was a literature review done to analyse the research problem. Books, journals, dissertations, theses and Internet sources published between 1993 and 2011 were used to give a theoretical exposition of this study. Research concluded that leisure programmes have the potential of developing parent-child relationships. A qualitative research method was applied to research the second purpose of this study. Two divorced single-parent families participated in this ethnographic research study. Data was gathered by means of participant observation, field-notes and a semi-structured interview with each individual family member (De Vos, 2005:296; Veal, 2006:386). The researcher worked through the process of open-coding and then two main themes were identified during content analysis. The first was attitudes which had its own set of categories, namely self-esteem and self-empowerment and motivation. The second theme was relationships consisting of communication, problem solving, respect and trust. It could be concluded that if the elements in the themes are developed it would lead to the enhancement of the main theme. As a result of families participating in the leisure-based programme it was established that the development of self-esteem and self-empowerment as well as motivation led to the improvement of attitudes. Similarly, the enhancement of communication, problem solving, respect and trust contributed to the improvement of relationships. / Thesis (MA (Recreational Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

No description available.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Family structure is related to educational attainment; it is evident that individuals from two- parent homes complete on average more years of schooling and are more likely to graduate from high school, attend University and complete University as compared to peers raised in single-parent families. Parental characteristics such as educational level, income and parents, aspirations for their children are variables said to influence schooling outcomes of South African learners. Children from disadvantaged families are less likely to graduate from high school and attend an institution of higher learning. The aim of this study was to explore and describe how single parenting in a disadvantaged community influences a learner's decision to enrol at a higher education institution. An explorative and descriptive research design grounded in a qualitative research approach was utilised. Research participants were purposively selected from two senior secondary schools in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Three sets of data, namely (a) grade 12 learners raised by single parents (b) parents of these learners, and (c) principals and grade 12 Life Orientation teachers were collected for greater insight of this situation. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and field notes were used to collect the data. Tech's eight steps of data analysis were used. Ethical considerations such as confidentiality, voluntary participation, and informed consent from learners, parents, teachers and informed assent from learners younger than 18 years of age were adhered to. The greatest influences to enrolling into a higher education institution and the type of institution were family structure and the learner's socio-economic status. Learners feel responsible for taking care of their parents and siblings; therefore feel obligated to work after high school. Those that have the desire to study further are concerned about how they will finance their studies. The Department of Education (DoE) needs to conduct a needs assessment and provide schools with the resources they need. This includes teachers and administrative staff. The resources schools have influence school outcomes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need to do an analysis of what the barriers to enrolling into university and college are at the various schools. When they have identified these barriers they need to tailor-make their information sessions with high school learners so that they have all the necessary information before they assume enrolling at higher education institutions is inconceivable. Schools need to provide the necessary information about university and college; including available funding to learners and their parents from earlier grades. This will be of use to those who genuinely want to study further but are concerned about finances.

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.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Virginia de Souza.pdf: 5953739 bytes, checksum: a6ca0b09a5cce7b59eae6a4c210612cc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This essay has as objective the study of the daily life of singled-parented families in social vulnerable situation addressed in the Municipal Center for Children Education. The families researched, besides being alone in their homes, have what literature points as social vulnerability. Along the essay the events which make families vulnerable have been discussed, analyzing the factors such as the weakening of relational-affective links, discrimination by gender, by territory and by disability. It has been evidenced which determinants hinder or facilitate the daily lives of these families with respect to education, maintenance and protection of children. Taking into account the CMEI’s researched in Ponta Grossa city – PR, it has been evidenced the existence of a relevant number of families which arrangements are singled-parented. Even with the prevalence of the nuclear and extended parenting arrangements, the single-parenting has become relevant as a social phenomenon. It is concluded that for the territory of Ponta Grossa – PR, the singled-parented arrangements conducted by the mother are predominant. The male income exceeds the female ones, however the women present a higher level of education compared to the researched men. The research pointed the existence of a primary net of solidarity which helps the families in many daily situations. Both the male and female parents use this support net, being the men the ones who use it for the care of the children and the women, the ones who use it for the cares and home financial support. / Essa dissertação tem como objeto de estudo o cotidiano das famílias monoparentais em situação de vulnerabilidade social atendidas nos Centro Municipais de Educação Infantil da cidade de Ponta Grossa – PR. As famílias pesquisadas, além de encontrarem-se sozinhas em seus lares, possuem aquilo que a literatura aponta como vulnerabilidade social. No decorrer da dissertação, discutem-se os eventos que vulnerabilizam as famílias, analisando os fatores econômicos, local de moradia, fragilização dos vínculos afetivo-relacionais, discriminação por gênero e por deficiência. Verificaram-se quais determinantes dificultam ou facilitam o cotidiano destas famílias com relação à educação, manutenção e proteção dos filhos. A partir dos CMEIs pesquisados, constatou-se a existência de um significativo número de famílias cujos arranjos são monoparentais. Ainda que os arranjos nucleares e extensos prevaleçam, a monoparentalidade vem se destacando como fenômeno social. Conclui-se que, para o espaço do município de Ponta Grossa – PR, os arranjos monoparentais chefiados por mulheres predominam. A renda familiar masculina prevalece superior à feminina, porém as mulheres apresentam maior escolaridade com relação aos homens. A pesquisa apontou a existência de uma rede primária de solidariedade que auxilia as famílias em diversas situações cotidianas. Tanto a chefia masculina como a feminina utilizam a rede de apoio, sendo que os homens a utilizam para os cuidados com a prole e as mulheres para os cuidados e manutenção financeira do lar.

Nearly 50% of children younger than 18 years will be raised by a single parent at some point prior to adulthood. Of developed countries, the United States currently has the highest percentage of single parents. Although much research has examined factors that contribute toward the negative outcomes of single parents, few studies have focused on factors that contribute toward positive outcomes for single parents. Using the strength-based construct of resiliency as a theoretical framework, this study examined whether gender, age, income, and perceived familial social support individually or in linear combination could predict resiliency in single parents. This study involved 138 single parents and a correlational, nonexperimental design was used. The Resiliency Scale-25, a 25 item self-report measure of five resilience principles; purpose, perseverance, self-reliance, equanimity, and existential aloneness, was used to measure resilience. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) a 12-item self-report measure of perceived social support from family, friends, and a significant other, was used to measure perceived social support. Results from a multiple linear step-wise regression showed none of the predictor variables were significantly related to the outcome variable of resiliency. A lack of diversity in the sample, an internet-only recruitment design, instrumentation issues, and failure to include additional predictive factors may have contributed to the lack of statistically significant findings. However, the results of this study highlighted the need for additional research on factors that promote resiliency in single parents, which could then be incorporated into improved services for this growing demographic.

[pt] Este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar a vivência da monoparentalidade. Considerando-se que as famílias monoparentais crescem em número, sofrem transformações e colocam novas questões, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa na qual participaram cinco mulheres e três homens da classe média da população urbana do Rio de Janeiro, com idades entre 35 e 58 anos, cujas famílias são monoparentais desde o início, sendo sete por via da adoção. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado. Os resultados foram analisados conforme o método de análise de conteúdo. Observou-se que a parentalidade solitária acontece em decorrência de variadas motivações, paralelamente à ausência de um parceiro com quem compartilhar o desejo de ser pai/mãe. Verificou-se que os principais desafios são a sobrecarga e incertezas ao exercer funções e papéis parentais, o exercício solitário da autoridade ao lidar com as questões dos filhos e o enfrentamento dos preconceitos. Os dados sugerem que a construção do vínculo com os filhos acontece por meio de uma trajetória temporal, sendo moldada pelas transmissões do passado e pelos ideais parentais na construção de um futuro. Constatou-se que a vivência da monoparentalidade é associada a transformações significativas na vida do sujeito. Concluiu-se que, neste grupo, o imperativo maior é o desejo de ter filho(s), sendo a monoparentalidade o modo de realizá-lo. Estes sujeitos encontram novas formas de exercer as funções parentais, construindo redes sociais de apoio, apontando para novos modos de subjetivação nas relações familiares contemporâneas e para novas formas de pensar as famílias monoparentais. / [en] This work aims to investigate the experience of single parenting. Considering that single-parent families grow in number, undergo transformations and raise new questions, a qualitative research was carried out in which five women and three men from the middle class of the urban population of Rio de Janeiro, aged between 35 and 58 years, participated. These families have been single-parents since the beginning, seven of them by way of adoption. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The results were analyzed according to content analysis. It was observed that solitary parenting occurs due to a variety of motivations, in parallel with the absence of a partner with whom to share the desire to be a parent. It was found that the main challenges are overloading and uncertainty in exercising parental functions and roles, the solitary exercise of authority in dealing with children s issues and coping with prejudice. The data suggest that the construction of the bond with the children happens through a temporal trajectory, being shaped by the transmissions of the past and also by the parental ideals in the construction of a future. It was verified that the experience of single parenting is associated with significant transformations in the life of the subject. It was concluded that in this group, the greatest imperative is the desire to have childr(en), and single parenting is the way to achieve it. These families find new ways of performing parental functions, building social support networks, pointing to new modes of subjectivation in contemporary family relationships and new ways of thinking single-parent families.

This thesis focuses on the public opinion on single mothers in emergency conditions in Český Krumlov region. The theoretical part defines single mother and single parent family. The fact that in many European countries the numbers of single parent families is increasing is stressed out. The theoretical part describes the changes in models of family behavior have been experienced in the last decades and factors which influence them. Also, basic facts on single families in the Czech Republic are presented e.g. female or male single parent family, their age, reasons for single family, social status, numbers and percentage of children born to single parents within last twenty years etc. In addition particular reasons of becoming a single mother are explained e.g. divorce, single parenting, becoming a widow. A phenomenon of domestic violence is closely related to the subject of single mother, therefore it is dealt with here too. The theoretical part conclusion shows principal reasons which cause that single mothers get into emergency conditions. The practical part presents a research which focuses on public opinions on single mothers in emergency conditions in Český Krumlov region. The field research was conducted through the method of a questionnaire. The focus group was public in Český Krumlov region. The aim of the field research was to map public opinions of Český Krumlov region residents on single mothers in emergency conditions. The research showed that single parent (mother) families are considered to be a group with the highest risks to be exposed to low standard of living. At the same time more than 50 % or respondents think that the most obvious reason for single mother to be in a critical life situation are economic troubles and lack of finance. An important fact which contributed to this result is that more than one quarter of respondents thinks that their current economic situation is not easy or even critical. In respect to domestic violence issue, the research showed that more than half of respondents believe that domestic violence against women by their spouses is mainly a results men aggressive behavior. The most frequent answer picked was aggressiveness initiated by the use of alcohol and drugs, than aggressive behavior inborn i.e. genetic predisposition to act aggressively and aggressive conduct like a way how to escape and resolve life situations which may appear to be unsolvable and an aggressor is not able to control her behavior. Public sees domestic violence to be a serious problem which is mainly present in single mother families. The most of respondents believe that domestic violence against mothers and children is the most frequent reason for single mothers to apply for subsidized single parent accommodation. The results also show that more than 60 % of respondents understand what domestic violence is and that very often victims never tell anyone and keep it secret even though they suffer for years. It is assumed that in this respect, public sees the relation between domestic violence and torturing victims in early childhood. More than 60 % of respondents believe that prevailing numbers of women who are victims of domestic violence in their childhood are victims of domestic violence also when they grow up mainly because of their previous experience when low self-confidence and violence become a part of their daily life even though hard bearing.