Characteristics of Single-Parent FamiliesCreation by Divorce or Births to Unmarried WomenSingle-parent families created by births to unwed mothers are more common than those created by divorce.These families receive little social supportHeaded by Mothers (sometimes Fathers)Over 85% of single-parent families are headed by womenGiven the gender discrimination in wages and jobs, single mothers are much more likely to be in poverty than are single fathers.Significance of EthnicityAfrican American single-parent families are more likely to be in poverty than are Hispanic or Caucasian families.PovertyFemale-headed single-parent families are disproportionately represented among those in poverty.Characteristics of Single-Parent FamiliesDiversity of Living ArrangementsSingle-parent families can take many forms including the parent’s outside romantic partner or live-in partner. The parent needs greater flexibility with child care and housing arrangements.Social Father– a male relative, family associate, or mother’s partner who demonstrates father-like behaviorPrivate Safety Nets– support from social networks that the family can fall back on in times of financial needTransitional FormSingle-parent families tend to be a transitional family form that can proceed marriage or occur after divorceIntentional Single-Parent FamiliesSome women who have not found a suitable partner will intentionally become single parents.Lesbian and Gay Single ParentsLesbians and gay men may have become parents in a previous heterosexual relationship or using donors, artificial reproductive technologies, or by adopting.The lack of marriage rights in the majority of states leaves gay men and lesbians as legal single parents even though there is likely to be a partner present.Children in these relationships only have one legal adoptive or biological parent.RemarriageA marriage in which one or both partners have previously been married.Men tend to remarry at higher rates than women.Remarrying women generally benefit financially more than do remarrying men who, having more income, may be disinclined to pool it.Women and men who are employed and socialize with coworkers are more likely to remarry than those who are not.Children lower the likelihood of remarriage for both men and women, but the impact of children is greater on women’s probability of remarriage.Divorced fathers with custody were significantly more likely to marry women with children than were men without custody.Remarrying couples differ from first-marrying couples in their degree of homogamyAs prospective mates move into their thirties and forties, they affiliate with people from diverse backgrounds.Happiness, Satisfaction, and Stability in RemarriageMarital happiness and marital satisfaction both refer to the quality of the marital relationship whether or not it is permanent.Marital stability refers simply to the duration of the union.Research shows little difference in spouses’ overall well-being or in marital happiness between first and later unions.Evidence shows that there is more equity, or fairness in remarriages than in first marriages.One study found that this appears to have more to do with an ex-wife’s less-than-satisfactory experience in her first marriage, and subsequent partner selection for remarriage.The Stability of RemarriageMany divorced persons choose to cohabitate with their partner before remarriage or in place of it.Remarriages are less stable than first marriages.Post-divorce cohabitation is positively associated with remarital instability1. People who divorce are disproportionately from lower-middle- and lower-class groups, which have a higher tendency to divorce.2. People who remarry after divorce are more accepting of divorce and are willing to choose divorce as a way to resolve an unsatisfactory marriage.3. Remarrieds receive less social support from their families of origin and are less integrated with parents and in-laws.4. Remarriages present some stresses on a couple that are not inherent in first marriages.Defining and Measuring StepfamiliesToday, approximately 30 percent of all marriages are remarriages for one or both partners.Can be formed through legal marriage, cohabitation, marriage after childbirth or other arrangements.Stepfamilies are more common in the United States than in any other industrialized nation.Various Types of StepfamiliesIn the simplest stepfamily, a divorced or widowed spouse with one child remarries a never-married partner without children.In the most complex stepfamily type, both remarrying partners bring children from previous relationships, and also have a mutual child or children together.Because relationships between at least one parent and child predate the stepfamily formation, there may be preexisting coalitions.There may have been significant relationship losses for all family members.One adult, a stepparent, is not legally related to at least one child in the household.There is a long integration period, prior to which family members must recover from previous transitional stresses.Creating Supportive StepfamiliesCreating a supportive stepfamily is not automaticThe Stepfamily Cycle does not unfold in a neat and precise way, and it can take anywhere from 4-12 years to complete.7 Stage Model of Stepfamily Development1. Fantasy- adults expect a quick adjustment while children expect that the stepparent will disappear and their parents will be reunited.2. Immersion—tension-producing conflict emerges between the stepfamily’s two biological “subunits.”3. Awareness--family members realize that their early fantasies are not becoming reality.4. Mobilization—family members initiate efforts toward change5. Action—remarried adults decide to form a solid alliance, family boundaries are better clarified, and there is more positive stepparent–stepchild interaction.6. Contact- the stepparent becomes a significant adult family figure, and the couple assumes more control.7. Resolution—the stepfamily achieves integration and appreciates its unique identity as a stepfamily.FSHD 257 1st Edition Lecture 17Outline of Last Lecture I. A continuation of lecture 15II. Dissolution and parent divorceIII. Analyze how divorce affects children development/relationships Outline of Current Lecture IV. Single parent familiesV. RemarriagesVI. Happiness satisfaction, and stability in remarriage VII. Stepfamilies Current Lecture Characteristics of Single-Parent Families-