The role of mother-only families in reproducing poverty.

Abstract

This paper examines why children from mother-only families have lower attainment and what can be done to improve their life chances compared to 2-parent families. About 1/2 of all mother-only families were poor in 1983 compared with only 12% of married-couple families. Among mother-only families poverty lasts longer and is more severe. Socialization practices of mother-only families may be different from 2- parent families in several ways: 1) divorced parents may have different values and expectations 2) single parents may have the same values as married parents but be less successful in transmitting these values 3) the mother-child relationship may be altered by divorce and 4) single mothers may have less social control over their children. The results of analysis of how family structure is related to socialization practices include 1) parents in non-interact families are less likely to be involved on a day to day basis with their childrens schoolwork than children in intact families and 2) parents and children in mother- only families communicate more often than parents and children in intact families. Neighborhood influences do not significantly reduce the impact of family type on dropping out of school premarital births or teenage births. Policies that could reduce poverty and economic insecurity in mother-only families include 1) increasing womens earning through affirmative action pay equity and subsidizing child care 2) increasing private transfers (child support and alimony) and 3) increasing public transfers (Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Survivors Insurance).