tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post9192262075497263602..comments2024-02-26T02:13:04.055-08:00Comments on Changing Nature of the American Family: Single ParentingSocfamilylesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-44552551832825506512009-05-04T10:43:00.001-07:002009-05-04T10:43:00.001-07:00that last post was by Jennifer Nichols...sorry i a...that last post was by Jennifer Nichols...sorry i always forget to put my name!!Socfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-33006200277458928092009-05-04T10:43:00.000-07:002009-05-04T10:43:00.000-07:00Honestly, I don't think that single parent househo...Honestly, I don't think that single parent households are any different than two parent households when it comes to the child's success. I understand that the child may have more resources or supervision with two parents, in which to guide them to success, but I think that it is more the nature of the parenting that ensures that someone does well.Socfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-63328121533586383222009-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:002009-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00I think that it single parenting can be more diffi...I think that it single parenting can be more difficult and be more challenging than parenting with two parents. I think that single parents can be very successful and do a great job in raising children. I think that it depends on the circumstances of the parent. For example if the single parents are, a single teen mother who does not have a job and is kicked out of her house. This is clearly not a good situation and this baby will be at a disadvantage coming into the world. However, in other cases some single parents may be even more capable of providing a supportive home for a child than families with two parents. For example if a woman had never married because she went to graduate school and focused on her career and she never had time to date but wanted to have a child on her own she could provide for her child just as adequately as any other family. As long as the single parent can provide their child with shelter, food and adequately support them financially, then it does not make a difference whether there is one parent or two both families could be equally supportive of a child. At first, I thought that single parents would not be as available for their children emotionally because they would probably be working and their child would have to go to after school etc. In today's economy though so many families with two parents have both parents working that I do not believe there would be a difference between the availability of single parents and two parent families. I think that as long as the single parent can provide the basic needs of the child financially and emotionally and are dedicated to loving and supporting their child then single-family parents can be equally as supportive as dual parent families and sometimes even more successful. Just because there are two parents does not mean these parents are always available. There are many families where one parent is not there emotionally or is always working so the family functions as a one-parent family anyways. I do know that for me I have both a mother and father and they have always been married. For me it was nice to have both parents because emotionally it was nice to have both of their opinions and support. Sometimes I would talk to my father about issues or sometimes my mother. Sometimes if one parent was more emotionally available at the moment, I could talk to the other parent, which is not possible in single parent family homes. In addition, my parents would discuss parenting techniques together and support each other so it was easier for them as well to have support while parenting me. There are many benefits to having a partner while raising a child but it is also possible to have an equally happy family in a single-family parent home. Thanks, TaylorSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-62591687077679890572009-04-20T18:16:00.000-07:002009-04-20T18:16:00.000-07:00In response to Meredith's response:
"I feel that o...In response to Meredith's response:<br />"I feel that once someone is a father it is often allowed for them to show emotion and display..."<br />I think in some ways this is true; but more on a personal, rather than social level. I think when men become fathers, many realize that the expectations of the "tough guise" are insignificant. Though many still feel the same expectations from their friends; especially if they are one of the first to become a father amongst their peers. so many times in the media and in life I have seen men given a hard time for being good parents. Luckily there are a lot of strong people who are able to brush it off as a joke (which it most often is meant to be). Though there are a lot of men who don't have the strength of character that some have; and in compensating they continue to put on a 'strong', 'manly', but in reality cold or impersonal face (unfortunately in front of their children, who need to be nurtured, not impressed).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08403002043225544695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-78151208595410040462009-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:002009-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:00-Kayla Harding-Kayla HardingSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-68978478374001598242009-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:002009-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:00I think overall fathers are viewed as not as capab...I think overall fathers are viewed as not as capable of being a good parent as mothers are. I think this has a lot to do with our socialization of boys to not be nurturers and that it is a feminine trait. When they are socialized to think that it is a negative thing then they don't want to be as involved in their children's lives in the same way as mothers are. Also when the courts in previous years have almost always given full custody to the mother then it sends a message that mothers are the only ones capable of taking care of children. The fact that we still don't fully think fathers are as good of parents as mothers shows that we are still stuck in the same stereotypes of femininity and masculinity. I think we're moving forward and seeing dads as an integral part of the family when it comes to children, but dads as single parents I think is still very foreign to us.Socfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-3452929974653791052009-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:002009-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:00In response to the question from class on April 13...In response to the question from class on April 13th, I believe that the male stereotypes in America do have an influence on fatherhood. There is a stigma of what gender roles need to be played out by the men in our lives, especially fathers. To be a single father and struggeling to raise children and keep but this idea of a "tough guise" can be ehausting in almsot every aspect of life. Men are not supposed to be caring, nurturing or show emotion, yet this seems to be the opposite of the ideals of parenthood. To be a parent, whether in a dual parent household or single, you must be nurturing towards your children and always put them first. Many men often get emotional at the birth of their child, yet this does not follow within the guidelines of the "tough guise." Is the emotion supposed to be hidden or is it then acceptable to change the gender roles that are given to men? I feel that once someone is a father it is often allowed for them to show emotion and display the typical female gender roles in reference to their children and their best interest but not in other areas of life.<br /><br />-Meredith GagnonSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-72654850084041349492009-04-19T18:03:00.000-07:002009-04-19T18:03:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Socfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-38459460776925520492009-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:002009-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00Response to Question #1:
I agree with Rhyanna’s r...Response to Question #1:<br /><br />I agree with Rhyanna’s response to this question. Like so many other issues that we’ve discussed in class and on our blog, this is not a black and white issue. In some cases single parenting can certainly negatively influence children. Single parents, particularly single mothers, have a greater chance of experiencing poverty. Living in poverty typically has a host of destructive consequences, such as poor quality education, health care, and housing. These consequences may negatively affect all areas of children’s development, as well as their life chances and ability to break the cycle of poverty. In addition to lack of money, single parents, especially those of many children, may have less time to spend with each child. Furthermore, the high stress that frequently accompanies single parenting may be detrimental to the quality of parent-child interactions. This stress may also lead parents to develop mental health issues, which often have a negative impact on their children. <br /><br />On the other hand, as Rhyanna mentions, single parenting may benefit some children because staying in a two-parent household where there is discord may have even greater detrimental effects on the child. For example, lacking a male role model is most likely better for a child than having a male role model who is abusive. Therefore, single parenting may or may not have negative consequences on children depending on the family’s circumstances. <br /><br />-Amy DiamondSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-8055234171364579762009-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:002009-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00Question 1-
I can argue both sides of this questi...Question 1-<br /><br />I can argue both sides of this question...<br /><br />Single parents are more likely to have less resources available for their children, in many cases contributing to the poverty cycle as mentioned. Also in cases of divorce, tensions between the parents almost always cause adjustment problems that can lead to social or emotional issues. I also think, to an extent, that it is important to have both strong female and male role models in a child's life and living as a single parent can often make it hard to provide that for your child. <br /><br />On the other side however in the case of many single parents, they have left their partner due to toxic situations that would/could have an even greater negative effect on the children had the parents not separated.<br /><br /><br />-RhyannaSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-21039885973895694292009-04-15T20:22:00.000-07:002009-04-15T20:22:00.000-07:00I think that single parents can be great parents. ...I think that single parents can be great parents. I believe that there will be hardships for both parent and child but that is not so say that they can't be a good parent. I believe i that the way the parent talks about being a single parent and the reasons they are one make a big difference. Another aspect which may effect the child is if the child's parent becomes a single parent from a couple or if they were and they get a partner. I also realized that there there are some couples where one parent interacts with the child and has a relationship with them and the other one does not, in some ways that is like the parent is a single parent. <br />just some of my thoughts- JustineSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-46490298504987954022009-04-15T15:58:00.000-07:002009-04-15T15:58:00.000-07:00To answer Caitlin's Question:
I do not agree with...To answer Caitlin's Question:<br /><br />I do not agree with the view that single mother's on welfare are taking advantage of the system. On the contrary, I don't think that there is enough government funding and social policies to support women in these situations. The money and food stamps provided by welfare are often not enough for a family to get by on. But if a women with minimal skills and education were to obtain full time work, she would likely still not make enough to meet the basic needs of her family. Furthermore, if a mother is working she must find adequate child care, but vouchers for day care centers are usually only provided to families who make impoverished wages; and the more they make the less funding is provided, so their whole pay check ends up going to day care. For example, I had a coworker who dropped out of college her sophomore year when she got pregnant. She moved in with her boyfriend, and they qualified for a full time child care voucher as they both worked minimum wage jobs. But when her boyfriend got a second job, they lost their son's voucher. My coworker had to quit because the cost of child care outweighed the amount of her take home pay. So instead of working their way to a better life as they had planned, this young family was deprived of upward social mobility because of the inadequate structure of the welfare system. This is just an example of how the welfare system is vicous cycle and does not provide ample opportunity for families to work their way out of poverty.<br /><br />-Julie ContonSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-58101564330971531922009-04-14T15:12:00.000-07:002009-04-14T15:12:00.000-07:00In response to question 3, I believe that single f...In response to question 3, I believe that single fathers can be just as good a parent as a single mother. There is a lot of stigma around this concept because men used to be, and still are, considered the workers and not the caregivers. Women, throughout history, have been the ones taking care of the children but it is time to break out of this social norm. There is no reason why men cannot do just as good of a job as women when it comes to raising children. They can be just as caring and sensitive and loving but society needs to let them. The movie we watched in class shows just how badly the concept of the "tough guise" can negatively effect men. If there wasn't this need to be tough, strong and powerful or to be viewed as such, I believe that the single father would be far more accepted and appreciated. <br /><br />-Grace MaskellSocfamilylesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634924626669544534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-35880303882333267732009-04-13T12:54:00.000-07:002009-04-13T12:54:00.000-07:00Drawing on the video and discussion from class tod...Drawing on the video and discussion from class today i just thought I would add an additional question related to single fatherhood. Do you think that the issue of masculinity and the "tough guise" spoken of in the video add to the difficulties of single fatherhood? (whether in relation to the social inability to emotionally attach, or other reason)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08403002043225544695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3799673044306831570.post-7536418166878808842009-04-13T11:29:00.000-07:002009-04-13T11:29:00.000-07:00I didn't realize that half of the second graph is ...I didn't realize that half of the second graph is not visible for some reason when I previewed the post... if you right click and view image you can see the whole thing. Sorry for the inconvenience!<BR/>-JamesAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08403002043225544695noreply@blogger.com