SINGLE PARENTS : A STUDY ON THEIR PARENTING ROLES""

Abstract

This study attempts to examine the parenting roles of single parents. The limited research on single parents locally and the emphasis placed on family by the government make it appropriate to do this study. Through semi-structured interviews with seven single parents, one of whom is a father, the researcher attempted to find out their parenting roles, the influences on parental roles, their parenting difficulties and coping, and the influence of gender on these roles. From the literature review, it is found that the tasks that parents performed fall into three main categories, that of providing, homemaking and childcare giving. The single parents are in a double bind; they are carrying out two full time jobs that usually require the attention of two parents, mainly that of a provider and childcare giver cum homemaker. This may create role conlicts and role overlapped. Some ways of coping appeared to be compromising in one role, giving up of one role or finding role complement. In examining the parental roles of these single parents, it is found that they engaged in a different kind of parenting. The parental echelon is non-existent in the single-parent family and the boudaries between parent-child is relaxed. Difference problems were also found between families with young children and families with adolescents. It was also found that half of the parents interviewed has already taken on the roles of the other spouse before single parenthood. In addition, while gender still pervades parental role and influenced them to a certain degree, it appears that the dominant influence on parenting roles is the single parents' parents. The study ends with recommendations for policy, practice intervention and and recommendations for future research.