Norms Of Single Mothers

I think that a single parent, in today’s society, can be harshly criticized at times. People will think that these single parents just gave up on their marriage and wanted a way out of a promise they had made years/months ago. I do not believe that these are justified criticisms. Just like a person should

Stereotypes, Society, and the Media have a great affect on single parents. When looking at common stereotypes

Pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood is a time in a women’s life that is full of varying emotions. Some are excited and hopeful while others are worried and careful. Either way, the moment you hold your newborn for the first time, there is a new sense of purpose women often feel. A heightened sense to nurture and protect. During slavery, that was not always the case for most if not all enslaved women. In a time where oppression, discrimination and sadistic acts of violence and terror were casted upon enslaved Africans in America; women were merged into specific gender roles and expectations. White and black women were not seen equally. Societal views created a margin of how the world perceived white and black women in all aspects of life including: motherhood, work and their roles as a wife.

My mother was a single mother of two and still held a fulltime job. Always excelling in her position. She worked hard and never lacked in her motherly duties. Being a mother is looked as a weakness in the job force. Men believe that women are incapable of being a great employees and mothers. The mommy track is helpful for mothers. it gives mother flexible hours to work so they also still care for their children. This is a great resource but often time when do use the available resource; their commitment to their position is questioned. Employers used to discriminate against mother and wives for employment due the fact that they might leave the job to become full time

Edin and Lein wanted to discover the surviving strategies of single mothers who are on welfare or work on a low-waged job. They argue “neither welfare nor low wage work gives single mothers enough income to meet their families’ expenses” (253). To find out the set of survival strategies of single mothers to make ends meet Edin and Lein interviewed 379 low income single mothers. They chose their interviewees from different cities, different aged group, and different ethnic background. Most mothers who are on welfare wanted to find a job and be out of the welfare but the primary problem that single mothers face was that “family economics”. With the minimum wage income it was impossible for the single mothers to bring the ends meet. Neither working nor being on welfare was enough to survive therefore mothers who are on welfare supported their budget by generating substantial supplementary income. Edin and Lein states that “welfare recipients generated extra income by working at side jobs, obtaining cash from network members, community groups and local charities”. They also get cash help from the family members, child’s fathers, and from a boyfriend. Because they were afraid to lose welfare benefits they did not tell anyone about the extra income they have. To survive they needed both the welfare benefits and the extra income. It was very difficult to establish a trust with the interviewees in the beginning because they were afraid if they talk about it they might lose the

Being a single mother gives off the idea that men just will never be in the top of their priorities, especially when there are children always groping for their mother's attention, not to mention the job, the kitchen sink, the stopped up toilet, etc.

Being a single mother can be very difficult in society. In “In Defense of Single Motherhood,” author Katie Roiphe talks about the issues single mothers face daily. The article covers issues from people thinking that single mothers are bad for society to having studies done on families with a father and mother and then comparing that to single mothers. The goal of the article is to lead people to be more open-minded on the topic of single mothers and show us how an idea of a perfect family that is pushed in picture books, classrooms, and from adults can be misunderstood from a very young age. Ultimately, Roiphe’s essay “In Defense of Single Motherhood” works as a persuasive essay because of its adept use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Every mom needs support in their lives, and that include single moms. Some single moms are either in high school or in college. I know from experience that being in school, and trying to raise a child is not easy. Especially if the mother has no partner to help her; for example, a single mother raised me. My mother went through college, and raised me at the same time. Even though my mom had a little support, it was not easy to do two things at once.

It’s more difficult for a single mother to give financially for children as she will make less income than the male counterpart. It’s important for single parent woman to get all the education she can to improve her career, and be able to give a better life for the child. It will set an example to the child that they are willing to work hard for a better life. Education is the single most important element for the child to work hard in school to acquire a life style they deserve. As a single parent this person continually sacrifices their own needs to meet the needs of the child. In most cases the child will not see the big picture, and this is not their job to worry about their next meal or where they will live.

According to U.S. Census Bureau, out of about 12 million single parent families in 2016, more than 80% were headed by single mothers. My mother a single Parent is worthy of admiration because she is the most generous person I know just like my grandmother she will give you her all and be left with nothing. Vanessa is also understanding, caring, nurturing, loving, and respectful of others. My grandmother on the other hand is the women who keeps our whole family intact. Myrtle is worthy of admiration because she’s reliable and the person to go to whenever you’re in trouble. Myrtle is also understanding, friendly, loving, compassionate, polite, nice, and respectful. She’s also very big on family and her church family.

During the years, single parent families have become a more common thing. This is starting to become a problem, because family dynamics can really influence a child’s life. According to studies it affects not only the child but the parents too.

Single mothers are usually portrayed in film and television programs as being weak and needing something to be dependent, usually on a man. Five single mothers in the film The Single Moms Club come together to support each other in areas that are their strong suit. These women in this film do carry the gender roles that are put on women, as well as break many of the gender roles. I will be focusing on three out of the five women in this film. These three women all share the same gender role theme of being a caregiver. Each of these women have their own stories, different backgrounds and gender roles that they represent, and some break the roles of being

1. Hymowitz, , Kay S. (2014, February 8). How single motherhood hurts kids. The New York Times. Retrired from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/.

Single mothers are beginning to occupy what should be the traditional household. Though many women argue that chivalry has been lost, there are still some good men left in this world. Women now-a-days are more independent and self-sufficient. Due to this more and more women begin to live alone and raise their family without a husband and play the role of the mother and father. Some guys do not deserve these hard working women, but it does not mean that the woman needs to raise a family alone. Fathers and husbands are still needed because it does not only concern the wife, but the child as well, such as being a role model, a supporter, and an extra pair of hands.

Single-parent families are more common than you think. A recent study by Sara McLanahan with The Harvard Press shows that about 25% of families are headed by single-parents in today’s society. A family that is run by one adult, struggles much more than a family with two adults. This was a problem in the 1930s, as demonstrated in the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Single-parent homes are still a relevant problem in the 21st century. Atticus Finch became a single-parent due to the death of his spouse, in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Finch’s injustice in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, is that he had to struggle as a single-parent which causes things that would not normally be an issue as a two parent household. Raising his children to be honest, respectable and proper was important to him, so Atticus made an effort to spend quality time with his children. This was contrary to Mr. Ewell who did not raise his children in the same manor as Atticus. Even though this injustice has been prevalent throughout the years, we can take steps to reduce the challenges that may arise within a single-parent home. The best solution to decreasing the struggle with single-parent families is to offer supporting services that will take some stress off of a single-parent and help guide their children.