Exam 2 Essay
HDFS 2420
11/07/2017
The Effects Family Structure has on Family Members
For centuries, family has been defined as a group of people who share resources and history, have a supportive relationship, are emotionally connected and have their needs met by other members of the family (Ooms, M., 1993). However, this functional definition of a family does not include relationships, blood-relatives, children, marriages and different types of family which fall under the category of a structural family definition. Therefore, in today’s society it is more acceptable to use the functional definition opposed to one that includes a mother, father and children. This is because, a traditional family type is not nearly as common today as it was a century ago especially with the rise in gay marriages, women in the workforce, divorce and even remarriage. In this essay, I will be looking at the relationship between the structure of the family and how it affects the family’s educational achievements, mental health, conflict, and delinquency. The types of family structures that will be focused on will be a traditional two-biological parent, single mother, and blended family (Ooms, M., 1993).
One of the biggest issues that all families deal with today, is discipline and behavior problems and how to handle these problems when it comes to their children. Not only do many believe that families without a dominant male figure in it lack discipline but they also believe that a single female parent lacks the ability to enforce discipline on their own. According to Behavior Problems among Children from Different Family Structures: The Influence of Genetic Self Selection (2000), by H. Harrington Cleveland Richard P. Edwin J.C.G van den Oord, and David C. Rowe, there is a connection between the attitudes and behaviors of children with single mothers opposed to children who have a mother who is married, this is because many single mothers have more lenient attitudes about sex, relationships and dating which stems from their own person experience in this area opposed to their married counterparts. Because of this, children of single mothers may adapt this attitude toward these types of behaviors and views on subjects. However, the authors also had a finding that supported the idea of children with two parents being disadvantaged because both parents have their own definition of successful parenting which could be contradicting or differ between parents, this could cause behavior issues in children. Opposed a single mother household, in which there is only one successful parent idea from the mother which could allow for a concrete set of parenting rules and regulations creating an understanding between mother and child (children). One interesting finding that the authors were able to discover was that these behavior patterns for two parent families were similar for both biological parent families and blended families (Cleveland, H.H., et. al., 2000).
While there was not a general steady correlation between behavior patterns and family structures, Yongmin Sue, and Yuanzhang Li (2011), were able to find connections between family structure and the effect it has on their children’s academic performance. Conducting a study of 8,008 students and 39,175 observation of these children involving their scores in math and reading based upon the number of correct answers the students had, with the independent variable being families with two biological parents, families with a biological parent and his/her married or cohabitating partner, and families with a single parent. This study also took into consideration that families with a biological parent and his/her married partner or a family with a single parent being considered a disrupted family and a family with two biological parents being nondisrupted. Overall the findings of this study showed that children of disrupted families had less academic progress over time opposed to children who grew up in a nondisrupted family. The finding was also congruent in terms of overall academic performance finding that children with both biological parents performed significantly better in academics than children from blended or single parent families. Overall this study showed that when there are disruptions or frequent changes and transitions within a family, it influences the children’s overall academic performance and a child’s academic progress over time (Yonhmin, S. & Yuanzhang, L., (2011).
While the previous study discussed the differences between blended, biological and single parent families, there was not a discussion in regards to single mother families. In the article, One or two parents? Half or step siblings? The effect of family structure on young children's achievement, by L.A. Gennetian (2005) a study conducted showed results discussion the implications on educational performance and progress in single mother families. The results showed that children born to a single mother and grow up in a single mother family complete less education and are more likely to earn less in their future careers than those raised in two parent families (Gennetian, L.A. 2005).
With an increase in divorce, remarriage, and new family structures there is also an increase in mental distress associated with these types of familial issues. These types of mental distresses include but are not limited to depression, anxiety, dissociative disorders, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, and bipolar disorder. There are many influences stemming from the family structure than may also influence the mental stability of the family members including economic, environmental, social and psychological factors. In regards to single parent families, some of the issues that may arise and lead to mental distress include, economic instability because of the reduced income in comparison to two parent families, there could also be depression associated with the nonresident parent whether this is because of death, divorce, reduced or no contact with the parent. Children who have limited contact or no contact with a parent typically have more stressful events associated with this factor causing anxiety, dissociative issues and even depression/suicidal thoughts. There is also a correlation between discrimination and single parent families, since many children who grow up with two parents may not understand what it means to come from a single parent home, or a home without a father, children may feel as though they are outcasts, unable to make connections with other children with two parents and in turn cause depression, social and generalized anxiety. Anne E. Barrett and R. Jay Turner’s (2016) study on the differences in mental health by the family structure that an individual is associated with. When looking at their results it was concluded that living in a single parent family especially a single-mother family, there is a greater risk of depression, more stressful life events and even less support and overall relationship quality with their family members. While this could be associated with the fewer resources that single-mother families have, the overall stigma associated with single mother families especially surrounding the idea that they are all on welfare, lazy and unable to care for their children as well as a man could, all play into the mental distress that this type of family structure endures (Barrett, A.E., & Turner, R.J., 2016).
With the changing familiar structures in the last decade, there is also a change in how families deal with conflict not only between parents, but also between parents and their children. Based on previous studies there is a large correlation between single mother families and large amounts of parent-child conflict. Many believe that this could be associated with more negativity being linked to single parent and specifically single mother families. There is also a connection between conflict and single mother families because of the heightened levels of stress in the family which could be derived from financial issues, work and school balancing and familial responsibilities. There is also a correlation between mothers working full time versus mothers who work part time or are stay at home. Typically, mothers who work full time are more likely to have more conflict in their families opposed to those who do not. However, single mother’s typically do not have an option to work part time or not at all opposed to mothers in a two-parent family which allows for an easier transition between work and family conflicts, because of this there is research that supports the idea that single mothers are less available for social interaction and connection with their children opposed to two parent families. Brett Laursen’s article, Conflict Between Mothers and Adolescents in Single-Mother, Blended, and Two-Biological Parent Families (2005), supported the idea that mother-child conflict is more frequent in single mother families. However, Lauren’s study also identified an important factor associating with blended families and conflict. He found that after remarriage into a blended family, there is a drastic increase in conflict in the family however, after the adjustment period and the family is able to adapt to new changes, the overall family relationship improves to a point where blended families have similar relationship as a two-biological parent family (Laursen, B. 2005).
Throughout the course of this research paper, there has been a strong correlation between single mother families and an increase in mental distress, academic performance, conflict and behavior patterns. While some studies showed an increase of distress in blended families, many times this was a short-term issue that resolved when the adjustment phase of the relationship had ended. Although this research shows that being in a single mother family is without a doubt more stressful and arduous, it does not state that a single mother family cannot be successful or will always have stressors and difficulties. Similar to two biological parent families, and blended families there are always conflicts and issues that arise and can