engleski

Family Structure and Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Single Parenthood

Trends in Census data show an increase of one-parent families in Croatia. Although single parents have been the target of a societal concern, researchers have only started to consider variables that are associated with the single-parent family life style such as community attitudes and socio-economic conditions. In the present paper data from a research project on the determinants and consequences of single parenthood are presented. The aim of the research was to investigate family structure and gender differences in attitudes toward single parenthood by comparing single-parent families with two-parent families. In addition, we focus our attention on tolerance toward different family types and on examining determinants of attitudes toward single parenthood. A total of 623 parents - 239 divorced parents (206 females and 33 males) and 384 married parents (301 females and 83 males) - participated in the study. Attitudes toward single parenthood were measured by a newly formed scale that included items describing single parents and their children. In addition, subjects expressed their opinion about different types of single-parent families. Several demographic variables (gender, age, years of education, number of children, income) and the measure of economic pressure (number of financial difficulties the family had to cope with during the last 12 months) were also included for the purpose of this study. Data analyses showed that one-parent families have significantly more positive attitudes than parents from two-parent families toward single parenthood. Men from both family types expressed substantially more negative beliefs concerning the implications of one-parent family life for children and parents. We also examined the extent to which relationships between demographic variables, economic pressure and attitudes toward single parenthood differ between one- and two-parent families. The most significant predictors of less favorable attitudes toward single parenthood in both samples were financial hardship and gender (being male). Evaluations of the way society treats one-parent families show that cultural expectations related to family structure and gender roles are expressed in more traditional societal attitudes towards women and towards some types of one-parent families. Subjects from both (one-parent and two-parent) family types expressed the opinion that in our society widowed single-parent families are treated more positively than never-married and divorced parents. Unmarried mothers are positioned most unfavorably, followed by divorced mothers. Results of the research point to the fact that society should be more sensitive to family problems, especially for those of one-parent families.

single parenthood; attitudes; economic pressure; gender differences

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