The number of single-parent families is increasing rapidly each year. The objective of this study was, first to examine if, from the perspective of adolescents residing within them, intact and single-parent families differed in family quality, socioeconomic status, and the extent of a social support network of relatives and friends, and second, to determine if these variables impact on adolescent development. / From the symbolic interactionist theoretical framework, four theoretical hypotheses were suggested, from which 18 operationalized hypotheses were generated and tested from the data collected. / The data were collected utilizing a questionnaire administered to high school students in a medium sized city in eastern Canada. A subsample of 586 students who resided either in an intact family (both natural parents) or a single-parent family (one natural parent presently residing alone) was used for the study. The data were analyzed utilizing Student's t, analysis of variance, and simple, multiple, and partial regression analysis. The major findings were; (1) Adolescents living in single-parent families reported, on the average, a lower socioeconomic status and a lower quality of family life than adolescents from intact families. (2) Both single-parent and intact families, as reported by the adolescents residing in them, have frequent contact with a network of relatives and friends, although intact family adolescents reported more close family friends. (3) Family quality emerged as the most significant variable influencing adolescent development of those examined in this study. Family structure was related to adolescent development only through the intervening variable of family quality. (4) The length of time the adolescent resided in a particular family structure was unrelated to the personal or social development of the adolescent. / In summary, the type of family structure had little influence on adolescent development except through the intervening variable of family quality. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-06, Section: A, page: 2118. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74843 |
| Contributors | LEBLANC, GARY WILFRED., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 160 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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