The Stereotypes Of Single Mothers

In today’s society, having the perfect body has been a growing issue for women for a very long time but now, more than ever, women are expected to be skinny but have curves “in all the right places”. This mentality can lead to self-esteem issues as women grow up, even if they are a healthy weight. When women are larger than the size of models that they see on billboards and magazine covers, they think they aren’t pretty enough or not thin enough and this can trigger eating disorders or mental illnesses. All of this is just because most women do not fit into society’s idea of “perfection”. Recently, clothing shops like Debenhams have been introducing “plus-size” mannequins (sizes 16-18) in their advertising campaigns as opposed to the usual

“Single mothers face inexplicable social and religious challenges… due to the cultural stereotype and religious orientation” (Essien). Different religions and culture have their own set of beliefs and standards. However, this provides a reason behind the discrimination towards single parents, specifically, single mothers. “Motherhood is crucial to female identity, and women are perceived as natural reproducers, nurturers, mothers and wives… divorced and abandoned single mothers are sexually, economically and socially vulnerable” (Jordal). Diversion is seen as something is not an option for them. Therefore, single mothers are viewed as a disappointment to the society. Which created more opportunity for the discrimination to

“Just because your feet fit perfectly in your mothers shoes does not make you a woman,

Today approximately 13. 7 million single parents in America with 82.2% of them being single mothers as told by Time Magazine, these mothers all somewhat attempt to make ends meet even though women earn 30% less money than men. This derives from the lingering opinion that women are less able to conduct work than men or the opinion that women should solely be kept at home as housewives, cooking and cleaning. However, single mothers ranging from Mary Ann Moore, who works 10 hour shifts to help support her four children, to Angel Gordan mother of six who has no job, these women find ways to make ends meet. Women carry in their bodies’ the future minds of America. They labor

This website explains that Americans are more likely to be considered black and less likely to be viewed white after experiencing decreases in social standing such as becoming unemployed, impoverished, or living inner city. “Race is not just an ascribed at birth, fixed characteristic,” Saperstein said. Instead race implies a set of gendered expectations for behavior against which people are continually judged. American racial stereotypes, from Ronald Reagan’s “Welfare Queen” for women to Willie Horton on a prison furlough for man, have never been about only race according to Alyia. Other status cues are stronger for one gender or the other for example if a poor person are more likely to be non-white, but poverty has an even stronger effect for men. Poverty decrease men’s odds of being classified as white more than decrease women’s odds of being classified as white. Stereotype based on race and gender are self-fulfilling prophecies.

Schlafly believes that as a mother, it is your job to honor the title of a mother, and put your child/children’s needs ahead of your own. As a wife, you must respect your commitment to your husband and do the best you can to help and take care of your family. The feminist movement is steering women away from that, and gives women the idea that their self-sacrificing role of taking care of and dedicating their lives to their children is less important then becoming equal to men and living in focus of you. The women’s liberation is causing wives and mothers with good families to walk out, in order to chase their self-fulfillment. Women no longer want to be burdened with the obligation to take care of a family and raise children, instilling their values into them so they grow up to be strong and positive people in society.

Teen Moms A group of friends are inside a classroom playing cards when out of the blue a boy with a thick glasses and a overalls comes out and asks to play. The group keeps playing and ignore him because of the way he is dressed and is classified. This is what stereotypes and misconceptions bring when it comes to socializing or trying to make friends. Stereotypes and misconceptions are labels and opinions put on people that can hold both a negative or positive meaning.

In the United States, the so-called “nuclear family” is still considered the typical American family unit. However, in recent years the colloquial definition of a family has become more inclusive and accepting of those made up of gay parents, interracial parents, single parents, and even those who choose not to have children. Despite the general upward movement in positivity towards these different groups, a recent Pew Research poll has come to show that a good majority of Americans (approximately 70%) believe that one of these is inherently “bad for society”: single mothers (Conan 2011). This kind of attitude is not new, either; single mothers have continuously been viewed by society as lacking or incompetent, looked upon with disdain, ridiculed, and are often even cast aside by their own families. This stigma attached so firmly to these single mothers hurts deeper and more painfully than just as an emotional blow. Poverty is a huge concern for single mothers, and one could argue that society’s attitude towards single mothers is one of the root causes of this. The stigma against single mothers should be eradicated because it is largely based on misinformation, and single mothers already have to deal with blatant sexism and racism in the United States. To generate sympathy for these mothers and create a more welcoming society towards “alternative” family types such as theirs, an advertising campaign should be taken up to show the struggles these women go through along with

Secondly, precarious work affects the living state of women financially as single mothers and how they were seen dependent primarily on their husbands wages and occupational choices. Now as single mothers they are unable to escape the debilitating effects of impoverishment which is shown through Ann Duffy and Nancy Mandell's article. This article articulates that a women's income drops by 20 to 40 percent as single mother because they do not have a male as a breadwinner for the family (Duffy and Mandell, 253). Females are more likely to experience this situation because if they do go into the work workforce they are payed less than men. Single mothers tend to be stigmatized when they receive social assistance in taking care of their children due to the Victorian ideals of society that women should follow their role of domestic work.

In society wifehood and motherhood are considered as women’s greatest calling, however, should women be categorized for choosing a career and a family? Stereotypes are fixed beliefs or ideals about a particular group. They are used to classify or categorize groups of individuals based on who they hang out with or how they, look, for instance “All jocks are dumb and ignorant”. Stereotypes are often based on exaggerated truths. Misconceptions are formed from stereotypes. However, they are based on false views or assumptions we have on a group of individuals for example “all gay people paint their nails”. The main reason why misconceptions and stereotypes exist is built on images and thoughts individuals are constantly exposed to and never questioning those images or thoughts. The tradition of women staying home, cleaning, cooking, and raising the children have expired since the 60’s yet, stereotypes and misconceptions of mothers in the workforce still remain. Such

According to the liberal feminist approach, women are less privileged than men and focus should be aimed at social change through legislation and social policy so women have equal opportunity. Thus, in order to change the current state of the family and how parenting roles are divided, new policies such as free child care and tax breaks for families should be implemented. The benefits of free child care would provide women with the opportunity to have their children cared for while they pursue their career goals or other tasks. Tax breaks would easy the stress on both parents financially and allow the father to work less hours and be at home more helping out with chores.

In today’s society, media portrays more stereotypes than we can count on one hand. Latino’s and Latina’s are particularly stereotyped in media way too often. “This overview of the most common Hispanic stereotypes portrayed in the media reveals why sweeping generalizations about Latinos are harmful” (Nittle). Whether it is a male or female Latin actress/actor, the stereotypes rage from: Latin lovers and sexpot’s to thugs and immigrants. When in reality, not all Latino’s are what the stereotypes claim.

Twenty-three percent of kids are living with a single mother (lecture notes). Let’s be honest the majority of the time when it comes to custody for a child the mother wins. There even use to be a law in some states where if a couple divorced the mother would get custody, however that is no longer the situation. The reason why the mother usually gets custody of a child could be sexual stereotype. Woman are the back bone of this country without them men wouldn’t be the men who they are so that might be the reasoning behind woman getting custody most of the time. Why being a single mother is a problem is because kids are expensive. For a middle-income, married couple with two children its estimated to be $245,340 to raise a kid in 2015 from birth

In the 1960s to 1970s, a feminist movement began and sparked a change in attitudes towards women in familial roles and pushed against gender inequality. This movement’s effects trickled down to the opinions and actions of people in the later 1970s to mid-1980s. The period saw a decline in the backing of the traditional family wife role for women and greater acceptance for women finding employment (Mason, K.O., Lu, Y., 1988). However, the change also encountered backlash, with the growth of employed mothers came concerns of the negative effects on the children and their relationship with the mother (Mason, K.O., Lu, Y., 1988). This triggered an inconsistent time for family structure. The nineties saw

Baumann.” (Schwartz 21) Everything has to be in accordance with her expectations and her beliefs, thus she makes her daughter in law quit her prosperous job because as determined by the Jewish tradition the man is the one supposed to sustain and provide for the family. The problem is that her son is not able to hold any job that would sustain a family. “She insisted that it must end before the marriage took place, since it was not only intolerable that a wife should make her own living, should go to work each day, but it was wrong that the wife should earn more money than the husband.” (Schwartz 19)