Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present study focuses on the salutogenic properties of families and attempted to identify factors that promote resilience in post-divorce families. McCubbin and Patterson's (1983) double ABCX model explains how families adapt to crises (divorce), and takes into account other life events that also impact on the family's resources. A cross-sectional research design was chosen to identify factors related to family resilience. The 98 participating families were identified on the grounds of the nature of the crisis and the developmental phase of the family. Self-report questionnaires were completed by the parent and a child acting as representatives of the family. These questionnaires consisted of a biographical questionnaire, the Relative and Friend Support Index, the Social Support Index, Family Crises Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, Family Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Family Hardiness Index. Intra-family support, support of the extended family, support of friends, religion, open communication amongst family members, and work- and financial security were identified as factors promoting resilience in these post-divorce families. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op salutogenetiese eienskappe van gesinne en poog am faktore wat verband hou met veerkragtigheid in enkelouergesinne te identifiseer. McCubbin en Patterson (1983) se dubbele ABCX-model verduidelik gesinne se aanpassing na 'n krisis (egskeiding) en neem oak ander lewensgebeure in ag wat terselfdertyd op die gesin se hulpbranne begin staatmaak. 'n Dwarssnit navorsingsontwerp is gebruik am faktore te identifiseer en te beskryf wat met gesinsveerkragtigheid verband hou. Die 98 gesinne wat aan hierdie ondersoek deelgeneem het, is ge"ldentifiseer op grand van die aard van die krisis en ontwikkelingstadium van die gesinne. Selfrapporteringsvraelyste is deur die ouer en In kind, as verteenwoordigers van die gesin, voltooi. Die vraelyste het bestaan uit 'n biografiese vraelys (wat oak 'n oopend vraag ingesluit het), Relative and Friend Support Index, Social Support Index; Family Crises Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, Family Sense of Coherence Scale, en die Family Hardiness Index. Intra- gesinsondersteuning, ondersteuning deur die uitgebreide familie, ondersteuning van vriende, geloof, oop kommunikasie onder gesinslede, positiewe gesindheid rakend hulle toekoms, en finansiele- en werksekuritiet, is ge"ldentifiseer as faktore wat bydra tot veerkragtigheid in enkelouergesinne.

Social workers interact with a variety of individuals in the field. In their profession social workers are to adhere to a Code of Ethics that ensure every client is treated equally. There are some under-represented populations that do not receive the same services when they interact with social workers in various systems; heterosexual single fathers are amongst this group. This study was conducted to identify if there was a gender bias amongst social work students working with heterosexual single parents. The researcher hypothesized that the participants in the study would favor single mothers and inadvertently offer more services to them. Social work students at California State University, San Bernardino, were identified as the population for this study. All currently enrolled students in the School of Social Work were invited to participate in the study. The students were sent a quantitative study via their university emails. There was a total of ninety-three respondents. The majority of the respondents felt that the parent with the same sex as the child should be the custodial parent of that child. None of the participants identified the father as an option for custodial guardianship. The participants offered more services to the custodial parent than the noncustodial parent. As a result of this study, the researcher recommended more representation of under-serviced identities in social work curriculum, more research on this population, and more curriculum that integrates social work education with social work practice.

While the literature addressing the experiences of women in higher education is expanding, the experiences of single mothers in academia remains under-explored, despite single student mothers being the largest and fastest growing student demographic in higher education institutions. The role of single mothers who are pursuing degrees while raising children assumes crucial importance in helping forge means of support that are not government-dependent, as well as enabling single parent student mothers to role model educational pursuits and achievement of degrees as possibilities for dependents. Though college degrees can provide means of financial stability and immense social and professional benefits for sole provider single–parent homes, higher education can prove significantly detrimental to the quality of parenting single parent students provide dependent children, and can negatively impact personal health, financial and economic security, and interpersonal relationships from undertaking multiplicity of roles. This study seeks to understand the challenges, needs and experiences which occur at the intersection of parenthood and studenthood for single parent student mothers, as well as exploring ideologies of what it means to be a “good parent” or “good student.” It also inquires into student mothers’ perceptions of institutional support, which may impact matriculation or attrition and seeks to ascertain whether existing college policies need to be restructured to better support the degree-seeking endeavors of single parent student mothers. Study findings revealed key themes that emerged from the data: participant awareness of constrained and competing time demands; competing pressures to produce the identities of “good mom” and “good student”; guilt arising from missed event choices; outcomes of forced choice events; guilt over lower classroom performance and loss of class standing over missed choice events; participants’ perspectives of in-class support by teachers or professors; participants’ views regarding presence or absence of institutional support tailored to their specific needs as single parent student mothers; participants’ concerns regarding student debt; and categories of unmet need and support services that would assist single mothers to degree completion. Student parents’ discursive narratives indicated internal and external pressure to perform better as students and parents. Results revealed that nearly all respondents were forced on some occasions to choose between attendance at school and family events and being present at moments which would ensure optimal outcomes in both categories of competing identities. Conflict was experienced by respondents when student mothers were forced to shift into and out of various roles and identities which made it difficult for student parents to maximize performance in any central area of personal or professional achievement. Finally, student mothers’ discourses indicated they perceived others’ perceptions of their in-class performance, class standing, and professional trajectory of their achievement suffered when a forced choice situation resulted in their absence or tardy in a course, or inability to participate in a group class activity. Student mothers revealed through their narratives instructors who shamed them in front of classmates for having to bring a child to class, or castigated them for bringing a child to an inappropriate forum in which content was not perceived as child-suitable. Student mother narratives revealed resentment regarding being exhorted to choose between being a parent and being a student, when, in their opinions, they were forced to undertake both roles concurrently, without sufficient support to engage in either role. A key deficit identified in the narratives of student mothers was their perceived absence of institutional support which would enable them to achieve their educational goals and better provide for their families. Student parent narratives indicated struggles with concern about debt following graduation, and discourse revealed speculation regarding possible forced choices at some point in the future, if debt loads were too high to be supported by income, job insufficiency was experienced, or cost of living was too high to support both debt and living expenses.

This study was a small survey of three single parent families with ten children who had experienced separation within the last six months. The sample was homogenous in so far as each family had been separated for under six months and the children were of a similar age range and each family was mother headed. The aims of the study were to explore the experience of separation for the adults and children by means of interviews both before and after attending the "After Separation Program" and to find out whether the experience of attending the Program had an effect upon intra- familial relationships. While the study could not be said to be large enough to be representative of all populations of single, newly separated families in general, some common themes emerged which correspond with other studies referred to in the literature. These include the sense of loss children feel with the absence of a parent, the breakdown in generational boundaries which often accompanies separation and a sense of loneliness and isolation. From the study identifiable themes emerged and it became clear that the group experience had made an impact. It would appear that following attendance of the program appropriate parenting is restored with mothers' more able to respond to the needs of the children. It was noticeable that better access arrangements were in place for the children. There was also an increased understanding of the feelings associated with the separation process.

According to the statistic of Ministry of internal affair, the single-parent families of Taiwan have increased substantially, where the traditional family structure are gradually being altered. The most significant change of the single parent families are that in traditional families, male tend to supply the income sources. A survey, based on the status-quo of single-parent families in Taiwan during 2001, indicates that those single parent families require social welfare which includes economic support, consultation, education of children, employment, residential, and etc. . Other surveys have further their studies on the residency of the single parent families from different prospects, that includes the problem of housing ownership, the need for residential welfare, living experience and status quos. Others studies, specifically based on the single-parent families housing of the city area, indicate that it is essential to pay more attention on the residential problems and difficulties. In addition, the above mentioned studies have found that the percent of female single parent families to own housing is lower than that of the male single parent families. This result shows that the tendency for the single female parent families to rent for residence in the city. Therefore, this study will be based on the single female parent families of the Kaohsiung city area, hoping to understand the residential problems and situations that are associated with the single female parents and subsequently, find whether rental residential welfares are required. This study discovered, the variables which affect single female parents renting behaviors are rents and children for that these two variables will significantly affect other variables, such as location, sharing renting, or group residence. As a result, besides cheap rent, others factors such as residential discrimination, stable environment, rental information, free moving assistance, housing repair are welfare that the single female parents are some of the items these families need. In addition, an observation specifically on the housing welfare proposition provided by the government found that there are room for improvement, for instance the two year living constraint, location of the houses are not suitable, and ceiling on rent subsidies. As a result, this study is hoping that government and associated agencies could think more dynamic when it comes to housing welfare policies.

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 study forms a subsection of an inter-university research project regarding the resilience of children in late middle childhood, in the South African context. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether any differences exist between the coping of children from intact and divorced families. It appears that resilience and coping are important components of psychological wellbeing, which can promote or inhibit psychological well-being. During recent years the effect that divorce has on children has enjoyed considerable interest. Literature on the main components of this study, namely divorce and coping, maintains that divorce is a traumatic process, causing multiple stressors for parents as well as children. It is also clear that children are usually capable of handling the negative aspects related to divorce, provided that they enjoy a support network consisting of family members, peer groups and teachers. Most of the research continues to indicate a basically negative influence of the divorce experience and process. Secondly a review of stress and coping literature was offered, with reference to the manifestations of such phenomena amongst children from divorced families. The important role played by coping in the lives of children and the manner in which it directly relates to their development, adaptation and psychological well-being. Amongst children, coping serves as a protection factor against stressors, such as divorce, for instance, and it contributes to resilience. During the empirical study the study population consisted of children in their late middle childhood (grades 4-7). The children were selected by means of a random availability test out of various schools in the various South Atiican provinces, after which participants were randomly selected by means of class lists. Despite the scope of the research project, only the data pertaining to 653 children was of use in the current study, following the practical problems experienced during the project and the fact that several researches handled the processing of the data. For the purpose of the study under discussion, data pertaining to 73 children from divorced families and 580 children from intact families was used. The study used the "Stress Response Scale" (SRS) as a measuring instrument, as well as biographical questionnaire, in order to determine the number, gender and ages of the children from intact and divorced families respectively. None of the subscales provided any statistically significant results and no practically significant differences were indicated in respect of coping between children from intact and divorced families. Concluding the study, recommendations are made for further research in this field and practical suggestions are given for the implementation of the findings that were anived at. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

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

This study forms a subsection of an inter-university research project regarding the resilience of children in late middle childhood, in the South African context. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether any differences exist between the coping of children from intact and divorced families. It appears that resilience and coping are important components of psychological wellbeing, which can promote or inhibit psychological well-being. During recent years the effect that divorce has on children has enjoyed considerable interest. Literature on the main components of this study, namely divorce and coping, maintains that divorce is a traumatic process, causing multiple stressors for parents as well as children. It is also clear that children are usually capable of handling the negative aspects related to divorce, provided that they enjoy a support network consisting of family members, peer groups and teachers. Most of the research continues to indicate a basically negative influence of the divorce experience and process. Secondly a review of stress and coping literature was offered, with reference to the manifestations of such phenomena amongst children from divorced families. The important role played by coping in the lives of children and the manner in which it directly relates to their development, adaptation and psychological well-being. Amongst children, coping serves as a protection factor against stressors, such as divorce, for instance, and it contributes to resilience. During the empirical study the study population consisted of children in their late middle childhood (grades 4-7). The children were selected by means of a random availability test out of various schools in the various South Atiican provinces, after which participants were randomly selected by means of class lists. Despite the scope of the research project, only the data pertaining to 653 children was of use in the current study, following the practical problems experienced during the project and the fact that several researches handled the processing of the data. For the purpose of the study under discussion, data pertaining to 73 children from divorced families and 580 children from intact families was used. The study used the "Stress Response Scale" (SRS) as a measuring instrument, as well as biographical questionnaire, in order to determine the number, gender and ages of the children from intact and divorced families respectively. None of the subscales provided any statistically significant results and no practically significant differences were indicated in respect of coping between children from intact and divorced families. Concluding the study, recommendations are made for further research in this field and practical suggestions are given for the implementation of the findings that were anived at. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

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