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ALL MY SINGLE LADIES

By: Savannah Choate

INTRODUCTION
Single motherhood is becoming more & more common Majority of Americans believe children are better off raised by both their mother & father

Researchers have several theories to explain why children growing up with single parents have an elevated risk of experiencing problems
Single mothers are stigmatized to be less emotionally supportive of their children, have fewer rules, dispense harsher discipline, are more inconsistent in dispensing discipline, provide less supervision, and engage in more conflict with their children

Dont two parents give their children twice the love, attention, and resources than a single parent could give?

How could one individual fulfill their childs needs without the support of the other parent?

But in the age when single motherhood is becoming more and more common...

Mothers & social science researchers are beginning

ACCORDING TO PAUL R. AMATO A distinguished Professor of Sociology and Demography for Pennsylvania State
University

Most children living with single parents are economically disadvantaged


unable to afford the books, home computers, and private lessons to succeed in school cannot afford clothes, shoes, cell phones, and other consumer goods that give their children status among their peers

They live in rundown neighborhoods with high crime rates, low-quality schools, and few community services
At best, most children living with single parents experience parallel parenting rather than cooperative co-parenting Children raised by single moms carry traits that select them into single parenthood

ACCORDING TO BRYCE COVERT


The Economic Policy Editor for ThinkProgress

The income of single mothers has nearly tripled since 1960 Studied several different types of U.S. households two-parent biological households, single-mother households, adoptive households, stepmother, and stepfather households
dissimilarities each child had with grades, siblings, friends, & substance abuse showed very little to no differences at all the cause for problematic children did not concern if they lived with both parents or not whether children had any trouble with these interactions depended on
whether there was a great deal of conflict within families
high amounts of disputes between parents endless arguments between parents and kids

ACCORDING TO BELLA DEPAULO


A social psychologist with a Ph.D. from Harvard

A study of hundreds of 10 to 14 year olds and their parents showed that in their day-to-day lives, single parents were friendlier to their children than were married parents Studies on single mothers of different races, classes, and sexual orientations have found that those mothers are rarely raising their children singlehandedly
single mothers almost always have networks of friends and relatives and neighbors who care about them and their children children of single parents spend more time with people in their extended families than children of married parents a childs stability is usually found in other adults (in addition to mom) who believe in them

ACCORDING TO PAMELA GWYN KRIPKE


Kripke is a single mother herself

A journalist with a Masters from Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism

Focuses on the beauty that emerges from the strain, the impediments, even the sometimes terrifying knowledge that their parents might fail them
No single mom wants to fail them provide less, teach less, support less, be less but it is in our minds that we might. So we struggle, and over the long term, we impart to our children that struggle can be good. This is something they know intimately There is power in the negative example, and my kids have witnessed it firsthand. They have learned and have emerged with the kind of human insight that will serve them wellthe kind of insight I wish I had had before making a bad choice.

MY INTERPRETATION
Paul R. Amato
I cant say Im a fan of Amato and his harsh facts. The rest of my sources do an excellent job of rebutting Amatos spin on ideas. His point of view helps me to create a strong argument for my paper by hitting on almost every stigmatism or stereotype on single parenting. This source provides many facts on U.S. households. By comparing and contrasting, Covert uses studies to prove that the number of parents makes no difference. It all relates back to the theme of my essay that a parents quality has a greater impact on a childs wellbeing than the quantity of parents. The more Ive researched, the more Ive found people argue that children need a father figure for stability. DePaulos view brings attention to the fact that a single mother will typically have one or more relatives help out. I love that she focuses on how kids of single mothers are at an advantage over kids of married parents with their extended families. Kripke is my favorite source that Ive found so far in my research because most arguments neglect to acknowledge the character that a little bit of struggling can build on a child. This can go for both the single parent and the children. No one, not even Amato who claims these children will grow up to become single as well, can argue with the power that a negative example holds.

Bryce Covert

Bella DePaulo

Pamela Gwyn Kripke

REFERENCES
Amato, Paul R. "The Future of Children, Princeton - Brookings: Providing Research and Analysis to Promote Effective Policies and Programs for Children." The Future of Children. The Trustees of Princeton University, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Covert, Bryce. "Record Number Of Families Rely On Womens Income, Many Of Them Headed By Single Mothers." ThinkProgress RSS. ThinkProgress, 29 May 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. DePaulo, Bella. "Children of Single Mothers: How Do They Really Fare?" Living Single. Psychology Today, 16 Jan. 2011. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Kripke, Pamela G. "Single Moms Raise Sturdier Kids." Slate Magazine. N.p., 3 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

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