Anissa Stewart10/29/201212-1 SummaryINQ 110-RLife Without the Father: What happens to the children?- Over half of all US children will live apart from at least one biological parento Usually the fathero 1/5 never live with their father- Consequences of divorceo Personal and social- 1960’so Divorce and having a child out of wedlock was believed to result in school failure, delinquency and social problems- 1970’so Single mothering was seen as another parenting styleo Reflected women’s growth socially and economically- 1980’so Growing up without a father increases the risk of problems with childrenThe Scope of the Problem- Children raised apart from a bio-parent are disadvantagedo More likely to drop out of collegeo Less likely to attend collegeo Less likely to graduate from college and or high schoolo Boys Trouble finding a job o Girls No father figure results in early sex Also children are more likely to be produced out of wedlock- Without fathers 80% do graduate but the dropout rate has jumped from 10% to 20%- Widowed mothers children adapt better than those of divorced- Fatherlessness is seen in more low income families and also those of ethnic minoritieso A child feels less rejected by a deceased parent than by an absent parent due to divorce- Some believe never married mothers are worse than single mothers resulting from a divorce- Children in step families do no better than in single parent familiesDoes Father Absence Cause Poor Outcomes in Children?- It is believed that pre-existing conditions such as flaws in character or genes create negative outcomes for children during and even after the parents’ divorce- Alcoholism and depression causes instability- Cherlin’s studied children before and after their parents separated in England in 1958o Found that something’s could result in pre-divorce problems- Jonathan Gruber focused on the difficulty of divorce within the state and the effect it had on parents (and children) who were then forced to stay together o Found in states where it was easier to divorce was populated by low income families andless educated adults than in states that discouraged divorceAnissa Stewart10/29/201212-1 SummaryINQ 110-R- Another assessment was done that focused on family structures and the impact of sibling and remarriage and additional siblings from the new marriageo Researchers found that both siblings fare worse than children raised by two parentsWhy Does Father Absence Make a Difference?- Three general factorso Economic deprivationo Poor parenting o Lack of social support- Economic insecurity is the #1 reason for single parent failure- Parental income is significanto Determines the quality of child care and the child’s health care- Half of single mothers are living below the poverty line compared to the 10% of two parent families- The fathers absence can affect the mother-children relationship - The absence can trigger disruption within the household- Many fathers respond by disengaging from the children- Single mother become too lenient with their punishments and parenting resulting in childhood delinquencyWhat Can be Done?- Increase in divorce and non-marital childbearing has not only increased in the USo Non-marital childbearing is higher in Scandinavian countries- Most of the difference in single mother income is the welfare-state-policieso The US reduces poverty rates by 15%o Sweden reduces poverty rates by 90%1. Educate parents about the risk of a fathers departureo May encourage parents to try to rebuild their marriages or work harder at cooperating with one another better2. Make sure social policies do not discourage marriageo Getting rid of marriage penalties3. Insist that fathers support their children even when they live somewhere elseo Enforcing child support and paternityo Increase joint custody and frequent visitations that should result a close father-child relationshipQuotes“Perhaps 40% of American children under the age of 18 will witness their parents’ divorce.” P282Anissa Stewart10/29/201212-1 SummaryINQ 110-R“These families are economically vulnerable and they disproportionately represent ethnic minorities.” P283“Many couples that divorce do not experience high levels of conflict?” P284SummaryThis article was dull. Divorce is a very sad topic for both parents and children.It is amazing how much divorce rates have increased. The fact that at least every person in the world has divorced had parents’ divorce or knows of someone else who has divorced. The exposure has definitely increased over the past years. It is very interesting to see what has happened every ten years. For example during the 1980’s people were very against divorce and single parenting. In just 20 years people have now become more informed about single parenting and tolerate pre-marital childbearing. Father absence is a very big deal. The article did a very good job listing the key factors that a fathers absence effects the child. I had never thought of the socialaspect. The fact that a male’s influence does so much more than comfort and protect his children is exceedingly fascinating. The social implications are endless especially the fact that young men with absent fathers have trouble obtaining and keeping a job. Sadly I don’t believe that many parents divorced or still married can even begin to understand the effect that each parent has on their children. The idea of educating adults about such things is a very good idea. Also having parents try to work things out and cooperate brings to light the need children have to have both parents who love and care for them. Although single parenting can sometimes not be helped, it is still good for children to have that male and female figure in their