Towards a textural sociological approach to single mothers' voices: A study of Hong Kong mothers (original) (raw)
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The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to shed light and find out the realities faced by single mothers with school aged children. Fourteen single parents with school aged children from Bansalan, Davao del Sur were carefully chosen to participate in this study through purposeful sampling. The results of the interviews were transcribed, translated as well as coded to produce major themes and core ideas. In-depth interviews and focus group discussion were conducted to find out the experiences of single parents these are the following: adversities, fears and insecurities, steadfastness, disenchantment and self-sacrifice. Insights from single parents were also presented as what they can share to other single parents in rearing school aged children, these are: endure and have courage, stay positive, have faith, forgive yourself, love unconditionally, dream on, and learn from experience. This study is significant in education to understand the students with single pare...
When Two Become One: The Experiences of Students in a Single-Parent Household
Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2024
Despite extensive studies on academic achievement, the unique challenges and resilience of students from singleparent households remain underexplored. Through purposive sampling, this phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of nine (9) senior high school students from a well-known performing arts school in Quezon City who grew up in a single-parent household. A researcher-made interview protocol with ten (10) open-ended questions that was validated by renowned experts was administered to gather responses and sufficient, vital information from the participants. With the utilization of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, three (3) superordinate themes were generated: (1) challenges encountered which delves to the emotional, supportive and financial encounters of the participants; (2) experiences of growing up in a single parent household which pertains to the new responsibilities alongside with the bullying and social challenges faced by the participants; and, (3) emotional well-being which covers the participants' emotional struggles, negative outlook on personal future and their hopes for future family life.
Asian Journal of Current Research, 2020
Single motherhood is now becoming a "norm," the number of single mothers has been steadily increasing for so many reasons such as giving birth outside marriage, separation, divorce, annulment, the death of a partner, or simply because some women chose to have a child and stay single. The study explored the lived experiences of single mothers in raising their children. Thus, the study aims to determine how single mothers cope with their situation to provide improved life to their children and themselves. The researchers have employed qualitative research methodology. The fundamental question is, what are the lived experiences of single mothers in child-rearing practices? The study's findings revealed that financial problems (struggles in meeting the basic needs of the children/family) and loneliness as the predominant feeling among single mothers are the common problems and experiences of being a single mother. Faith, support from family and community, and their job play an essential role in coping with their situation and helping them survive. It made them feel suitable for themselves, and they were trustworthy and independent in raising their children as single mothers. The study also suggests a need to recognize the struggles of single mothers and their children and call for interventions by both government and social workgroups to help them cope with single parenthood's financial, psychological, and emotional challenges.
The Hidden Truth Behind the Life Circumstances of Teachers Who are Single Parents
Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2023
This qualitative study explored the narratives of teachers who are single parents and who experienced taking care of their children alone. The total number of conversational partners are 15 where 3 males and 12 females took the in-depth interview. This study was conducted in different secondary schools in the PPALMA in the school year 2021-2022. The study utilized a qualitative research design anchored on the descriptive phenomenological design. An in-depth interview was used to gather the lived experiences of the conversational partners. This study used a snowballing, a non-probability sampling method. Specifically, it gathered personal narratives on the following: responses of the conversational partners on their lived experiences as undesirable and beneficial to them, factors in the environment that posed as challenges and selfissues that they faced while they were in parenting, coping mechanisms of teachers who are single parents to address the struggles encountered, motivating factors used by the conversational partners as their strength in facing the challenges as a single parent. The results of the study revealed different theme clusters in the research questions. The common themes that were found through this study are: Betwixt and Between, Against All Odds, Tougher Than Before, and Rebuilding Life. All of these themes represent the lived experiences that the teachers.
There was a rapid increase in the number of single-parent families in the latter half of the twentieth century. This change has been used by some people to argue that we are witnessing a breakdown of the family, with negative effects on children, families and society (Popenoe, 1996). Others suggest that single-parent families have been present in all societies over time and should not be viewed as abnormal or 21 problematic but rather as an alternative family form. (Coontz, 1997). No matter what people view about the presence of single parent families yet the presence of families headed by one-parent has a major influence on the social, economic and political context of family life as far as education of the children is concern. Due to the fact that Single-parented children face many challenges throughout their development. The challenges and the effect of challenges on their education are raised and discussed as follow:-Family background is key to student's life in and outside of school. Social economic status of the family is one of the factors that influence students learning. Eamon, (2005), Hochschild, (2003) have found in their studies that students who have low social economic status are more likely to score low marks , to drop out of school. Most of single-parent families have a low level of economic power and therefore they cannot provide their children with school requirements like school fees, text books, exercise books and other learning materials. Though some of single parent are rich yet many are poor. Family poverty also can lead to other problems such as diseases, poor school attendance and performance and psychological problems. Pong and Ju (2000) comment that for many low-income or single-parent families, the challenges that are mostly faced by children and youths are directly or indirectly related to the poor economic condition for their families, not just to parenting style. Poverty directly reduces the access and quality of resources, social and health services and opportunities such as food, shelter, health care, education, and transportation. Fraser (2004) also maintains that poverty affects the ability of parents to provide consistent supervision and monitoring, adequate family management practices, and a range of social and educational stimulating experiences. Due to less 22 income single parent children suffer much in getting education resources which make some of them to be the victims of child labour hence they can be dropout or have poor performance and fail to achieve their dreams. The other challenge is lack of discipline at school. Usually good behaviours, appropriate values and attitude of children are moulded by parents as parents are the role models of their children. The children from single parent lack role models as well as supervision from their parents. Due to the absence of one parent income, the remaining parent is forced to use most of her/his time looking for home needs and as a result the children start misbehaving at home and at school. Wendy and Kathleen (2003), observe that adolescents in intact families are less likely to exhibit behaviour problems in school and tend to have higher levels of academic achievement. Compared to children living in intact families, peers living in single-mother families or with cohabiting partners are more likely to be suspended or expelled from school; more likely to be engaged in delinquent activities or more likely to have problems getting along with their teachers, doing homework or paying attention in school (Wendy and Kathleen, 2003). Children growing up in single-parent households are at a great risk of depression that is manifested in chronic and pronounced unhappiness, sexual promiscuity, delinquency in the form of drug abuse, petty stealing, alcoholism and acts of breaking into intense anger, apathy and restlessness. In so doing these students can't concentrate in studies. (Lahaye, 1982). Also Mandara and Murray (2006) assert that single parent students are more likely to use drugs and alcohol with boys raised by single father more affected. Single parents struggle with time management due to double responsibilities; therefore they are less involved with their children, which 23 give less
An Ethnographic Study of Home Schooling
1990
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. ABSTRACT The study is an ethnographic study of home schooling in the lower mainland of British Columbia. It was conducted to increase understanding of the growing home schooling movement in the province. The information gained is valuable in assessing recent legislative changes in the new British Columbia School Act (1989) and the resulting policy changes with regard to home schooling. The purpose of the study was primarily exploratory. The design was based on two propositions: (1) that it may be possible to build characterizations of home schooling families and, (2) that these characterizations, or portraits, may include certain reactions to the policy changes. To examine these propositions the study focused on the following four main questions: 1. Why are some families in urban areas in British Columbia choosing to home school their children? 2. What does home schooling mean to these families? 3. How are these home schooling families reacting to the new legislation on home schooling? 4. What alternatives, if any, would the home schoolers prefer? The analysis of the study presents the finding from two different perspectives. It first provides three portraits based on stories of "committed home schoolers", those who have reached a level of certainty and comfort with home schooling as an alternative to a school system. From the characterizations developed three ideal styles are determined and diagramed. A second perspective examines the stories of "situational home schoolers", those who have moved into home schooling because of dissatisfaction with the public school system. The conclusion of the research uses the division of home schoolers into committed and situational groups to examine recent legislative and policy changes ii relevant to home schooling. Although the research is limited in its design as it is based on replication logic rather than sampling logic, it has developed theories about patterns which may exist amongst home schoolers. These theories strongly suggest that government policies with regard to home schooling need to be developed with an understanding of the individualistic nature of each home schooling situation.
This ethnographic study explores how Singaporean middle-class women who have opted out of the traditional labour market to support their children actively redefine their roles and responsibilities. How are investments of time, energy, emotional and economic resources in children’s education explained, and what bearing do they have on norms of motherhood? While involved or intensive parenting styles seem to be a global middle-class phenomenon, the ethnographic data suggests that parenting strategies are always embedded in a cultural context, characterized by specific notions of family, childhood, human capital, and intergenerational expectations and obligations. This paper argues that the emphasis on children’s educational achievements in Singapore must be understood in relation to a widely accepted narrative of national survival. The idea of human capital as fundamental to both national and individual progress has trickled down and is indeed reproduced in middle-class parenting strategies that focus on children’s development and academic achievement. While parental involvement reproduces gendered and social inequalities, the ethnographic data unveils a more complex picture. A common feature of the mothers in this study is their aspiration to continue doing something ‘meaningful’ in addition to care work, even though they compromise their professional careers to become ‘better mothers’. The decision to become a ‘mumpreneur’, for example, is interpreted as an example of how middle-class mothers construct an alternative professional identity as they carve out the time and flexibility to care for their children. The meaning of mothers’ educational work must also be seen in relation to a specific cultural idea of intergenerational expectations and obligations, whereby the reciprocal relationship between parents and children is reified.
Children's Geographies, 2014
This exploratory study seeks to understand childhood in Hong Kong in relation to the high-rise living environment and dominant parenting culture among middle-class professionals. The empirical results suggest that it is parenting culture rather than the built environment that creates children's busy, scheduled lives, high levels of adult supervision and limited outdoor play. Building on a strong portfolio is considered to be both necessary to enter the popular British educational system and to counterbalance a curriculum that is supposed to offer less structured learning compared to the local Cantonese schools. It is argued that this paradoxical situation must be understood in the context of parents' personal childhood histories and the highly competitive global labour market in Hong Kong. The paper ends with a reflection on new discourses of childhood that creates cities and its many consumption spaces as urban idylls for raising children.
2010
Chen Jou-Chen PARENTING STYLES OF TAIWANESE SINGLE MOTHERS WHOSE ELDEST CHILD IS BETWEEN THE AGES OF SEVEN AND SEVENTEEN This study addresses parenting styles of Taiwanese single mothers, focusing on interactions between cultural factors and their approach to parenting, and how Taiwanese single mothers define and perceive their parenting styles. Using phenomenological and narrative analysis, eight participants (four divorced, four widowed) were interviewed in-depth in Taiwan, using Chinese and Taiwanese. The study identified their self-awareness as parents in terms of behaviors, beliefs, attitudes and values as well as interactions with their children, including the use of discipline. Additional issues addressed include financial circumstances, social and government resources available to single mothers, their emotional management/coping strategies and problem solving abilities, their use of self-talk/proverbs, and their children's personalities in relation to family status and patriarchal cultural attitudes about single-mother households.