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The quantity of single-parent studies have increased over the years, with the researchers investigating each aspect of this phenomenon from different points of view. Despite the fact that the theme is not new and there were a lot of aspects analyzed throughout the years, the academics still pay attention to this issue, as the family tends to develop with the society changing the discourse of the problem. Usdansky (2008) dedicated his research to the prevalence of single-parent studies written in a specific period of time. According to the researcher’s estimations, the attention to this area has boosted disproportionately, which could mean that the quantity of single parent families is elevating. The study set several aims for the inquiry. First of all, Usdansky (2008) had the goal to reveal if the single-parent families are increasing in number. Secondly, the researcher aimed to find out what are the most wide-spread reasons for this phenomenon. Thirdly, the reasons for the growth of the studies had to be analyzed as well, according to the objectives of the research. Finally, the research had the purpose to determine what topics in this area are the most popular among the scientists.
In order to achieve the goals, the researcher used qualitative research design for its investigation. Using the analytical methods for collecting and analyzing the data, the research involved 3050 journals from the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and 1376 articles from JSTOR written between 1900 and 1998. The research was conducted over a long period of time due to the need to evaluate a large number of sample. The results revealed that in the psychological journals, the majority of the studies were dedicated to depression among the single parents and rivalry between them in terms of taking care about a child. It also was detected that the growth of the studies exploring this topic is associated with the elevation of the quantity of single-parent families in the U.S. The main reason for the increase of interest to this topic is connected to the necessity to resolve this problem.
The researcher was committed to the topic of single-parent family research. His primary area of investigation was the approach to this type of family in the society. According to Usdansky (2009), in the U.S. the public continues to have ambivalent perception of the single parents, non-marital relationships, and divorce in general. In the past, the attitude towards these phenomena was strictly negative, but with the time and the development of society, the attitude has altered in terms of acceptance. According to the researcher, there was a negative depiction of the single parent families between 1900 and 1998, which were created by divorce. The study has created several questions in order to explore them during the course of the research. The article wonders if the attitude is connected to the negative connotation of divorce in the society; how the image of single parents was formed; and if it affects the psychological well-being of the single parents.
Using the qualitative research techniques Usdansky (2009) used literature review as its main tool in collecting the data. For the analysis of the information, the study utilized the deductive techniques by comparing and contrasting the results obtained by the review. The findings produced by the inquiry implied that the increase of negative behavior towards single parents stemmed from the decline in so-called “normative” relationship between men and women. The majority of studies managed to illustrate the divorces as harmful and unnecessary claiming that it is impossible to nurture a child in this type of families. The main reason why this process is impossible according to the previous studies, is the absence of the “normal” model of a family among such children. However, over the second half of the 20th century, the U.S. experienced a dramatic increase in divorces and non-marital childbearing. The main reason for such change was the alteration of the role of woman in the society and the increase of the economic possibilities for the females. Also, the impact of divorce is detrimental on children, according to the research, as kids were suffering increased levels of anxiety and stress during the divorce and some years after this event.
Also, another major area of research in this direction was dedicated to the psychological, emotional, and mental state of single parents after the divorce. As the majority of the single parents are females, the main attention was concentrated on their wellbeing. Hernández, Aranda & Ramírez, (2009) conducted a study evaluating the quality of life and psychological wellbeing of divorced women with children through the comparison with the women from nuclear families. The main aims of the research were to determine the predictors for quality of life and to evaluate the differences between women from single-parent families and those in bi-parent families. The study used quantitative research design by hypothesizing that the level of depression in divorced women with children was higher comparing to their married counterparts. Also, the researchers created a hypothesis claiming that the overall quality of life in the females from single-parent families was lower comparing to the women from nuclear families.
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study involving 140 women from single-parent families and 107 females from bi-parent families. The study used the survey techniques for collecting the data and SSPS tools for analyzing the information. Both hypotheses were confirmed during the course of the research. According to the results, divorced females with children have lower quality of life, and higher rates in depression comparing to their counterparts from the nuclear families. The factors affecting the quality of life included the number of children, level of depression, and the income. According to the study, women from the single-parent families were depressed due to the fact of divorce, the need to improve their income levels, and the need to nurture children on their own. Also, the reasons for depression included the bad experience during the co-parenting, low quality of communication with the former spouse, and the belief that they will not be able to build a relationship after the divorce. Such results, according to the researchers, support the previous studies in this direction.
References
Hernández, R. L., Aranda, B. E., & Ramírez, M. T. (2009). Depression and Quality of Life for Women in Single-Parent and Nuclear Families. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 171-188.
Usdansky, M. L. (2009). Ambivalent Acceptance of Single-Parent Families: A Response to Comments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71(2), 240-247.
Usdansky, M. L. (2008). The emergence of a social problem: Single-parent families in U.S. popular magazines and social science journals, 1900 - 1998. Sociological Inquiry, 78, 74 - 96.
