RUNNING HEAD: Singlehood and Its Impacts

SinglehoodanditsImpactonChilddevelopmentandSociety
StudentName:ShantBrown
StudentNumber:823282009
DateofSubmission:April22,2015
Professor:RenaBorovilos

RUNNING HEAD: Singlehood and Its Impacts

Societyhasbroughtahugeimpactonhowchildrenshouldberaisedwithinthisdayand
age.Itisrecommendedbysocietythatachildberaisedwithtwoparents,astheycanboth
supporttheirchildphysically,emotionally,andfinancially.Unfortunately,thisexpectation
cannotalwaysbefulfilledtosocietysexpectationsduetoseveraloffactors.Singlehoodis
showngreatlywithinoursociety,sincecouplesdealwithseveralofcomplicationsthatcannotbe
resolvedortheydealwithinterpersonalissuesofthemself.
Singlepeopletendtodecidetoraisetheirchildontheirownasapersonalchoice.
AccordingtoExploringlifespanDevelopmentbyLauraE.BerkAbout10percentof
Americanchildrenand5percentofCanadianchildrenlivewithasingleparentwhohasnever
marriedanddoesnothaveapartner.Oftheseparentsabout90percentaremothers,and10
percentarefathers(Berk,2008,p.385).Womenaremorelikelytobeasingleparentthan
fathersbecausethereisagreateremotionalattachmentbetweenthechildandthemother.Asa
mother,theyareresponsiblefornurturingfortheirchildbeforeandaftertheirbirth.Sincea
motherandachildareconnectedbytheumbilicalcord,themotherisabletonurturethechild
beforeitisborn.Fromthemomentthechildenterstheworld,mothersstillconnecttotheirchild
bynurturingthemthroughbreastfeeding.Thehormonesprolactinandoxytocinisreleasedfrom
themothersbreast,whichalsoallowsthemothertoprovidetheconnectionandnutrientswith
herchildagain.Males,instead,usuallybecomeconnectedtotheirchildthemomenttheirchildis
born.Asthehormoneoxytocin,isreleasedbythemales,thisallowsthemalestocreateabond
withtheirchildthroughinteraction.Whichimpliestousthatchildrenhaveagreaterbondwith
theirmothersthantheirfathers,sincetheyhavebeeninalongerrelationshipwiththechild.
Anotheraspectthataffectswomenfrombeingmorelikelytobeasingleparentisthesociety

RUNNING HEAD: Singlehood and Its Impacts

expectations.Weliveinapatriarchalsocietywhereinmostrelationships,malesholdmore
power,andworkwhilefemalesareresponsibleforcareofthehomeandtheirchildren.Including
thatwhy90percentoffemalesareinthesinglehoodthenmales.
IntheUnitedStates,thelargestgroupofnevermarriedparentsisAfricanAmerican
youngwomen.(Berk,2008,p.385)AccordingtoLauraover60percentofAfricanAmerican
mothersintheirtwentiesarewomenwithoutapartner,whileCaucasianwomenareinthe13
percenttextilerate.ThefacttowhyAfricanAmericanwomenpercentageismuchhigherthan
CaucasianwomenisduetoAfricanAmericanspostposingtheirmarriagemorethanchildbirth.
ThesewomenarechoosingchildbirthovermarriagemainlybecauseAfricanAmericanmen
becomejobloss,unemployedorconsequentinabilitytosupportafamily,whichaltersthe
marriageorrelationshiptocontinue.ThiscreatesmoreAfricanAmericanswomentobesingle
anddependentontheirextendedfamilymembertohelpraisethechild.
Thereareseveralamountsofwomenthatfallunderthissinglehoodtheory.Theyoung
adultthatIhavechosenforthisreportontheemotionalandsocialdevelopmentaspectof
singlehoodisAlicia.AliciaisanAfricanCanadianparentwithtwofemalechildren.Alicias
daughtersarecategoriesasthe5percentofCanadianchildrenthatlivewithasingleparent.
SinceAliciahasnotbeenmarriedandisnotwithasignificantotherduetorelationshipissues,
andsincetheirfatherwasnotequippedtoprovidefortheirfamilyduetoajobloss,which
indicateswhyAliciaiscaringforherchildrenonherown.Bythisaspectofherchildrenbeing
fatherless,itdoesabignumberonherfirstbornchildasshedisplaystoplentyexamplesof
antisocialbehaviours.Thesebehavioursincludelackoffriends,isolationofselfandrefusalof
goingout.Lauraindicatesthatchildrenwithoutafatherbecomeantisocialduetothefactthat

RUNNING HEAD: Singlehood and Its Impacts

theyaremissingthecomponentofthesocial,emotionalandphysicalsupportfromtheirfather,
whichiswhytheyareantisocial.Ontheotherhand,hersecondbornchilddoesnotfollowthe
theoriesthataredisplayedwithinchildbornfromafatherlessfamily,asherchilddoesnothave
issuesregardingschoolandshedoesn'tdisplayanysourceofantisocialbehavioursinceshehas
hadplentyoffamilymemberstosupportherandgivehertheguidanceofafather.
Inconclusions,ithasbeenprovenforvariousreasonsthatachildisleftwithinthecareof
amotherduetoanythingfrom,financialaid,psychological,andoremotionalsupport,
experience,andnumerousotherreasons.Furthermore,sinceAliciaisnotmarriedanddoesnot
haveasignificantotheritcreatesplentyofcomplicationsforherfirstbornchild.Asherfirst
bornshowsplentyofantisocialbehaviors,lacksaninfiniteamountofsocialsilks,andan
unstablerelationshipbetweenanyonethatbecomesclosetothischild.Thesebehaviorsinclude,
lackoffriends,isolationtoherselfandrefusestoleavethecomfortablyofherhome.Inthetext,
Lauradoesindicatethatchildrenwithoutafatherbecomemoreantisocialthanothersduetothe
factthattheyaremissingthecomponentofthesocial,emotional,andphysicalsupportfrom
anotherparentfigure,preferablyafather.Ontheotherhand,notallchildrensufferwithout
havingafatherinthepicture.AsAliciassecondbornchilddoesnotfollowallthesetheories
thatarestatedaboutchildrenthatdoesnothaveafather.Shehasthesameamountofsocial
abilityasachildfromatwoparenthome,alsoemotionallystable.Therefore,itwouldbe
preferredifachildlivesinafamilywithbothparents,butiftheparentcanprovidetherolesof
bothparentstowardsthechild,thechildwillnotnecessarysuffer.Whatareneededwithinthe
childlifeareastrengtheningsocialsupport,education,andemploymentopportunitiesthatwill
greatlyenhancethewellbeingofunmarriedmothersandtheirchildrens(Berk,2008,p.385).

RUNNING HEAD: Singlehood and Its Impacts

Reference
E.Berk,L.(2008).EmotionalandSocialDevelopmentinEarlyAdulthood.InExploringLifespan
Development(1sted.,p.385).Boston,Massachusetts.