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Southern, White & Poor: Parenting Choices and Family Formation Among Single Mothers

Naomi Farber
College of Social Work
University of South Carolina
Columbia SC 20208
8037778816
FAX: 8037773498
naomi.farber@sc.edu

Julie Miller-Cribbs
College of Social Work
University of South Carolina
Columbia SC 20208
803777146
FAX: 8037773498
jmcribbs@sc.edu

Little is known about how family life may differ as part of regional sub-cultural variation. Specifically, no current research exists to help us understand the relatively high incidence of out-of-wedlock childbearing and family disruption among poor white families in the south. Given the history and current problems of poverty among whites as well as African Americans in the southern states, it is important to examine what sustains such long-term disadvantage (Kids Count 2000). The strong association between single-parent family structure, poverty and a range of children's outcomes highlights the significance of understanding in greater depth the factors that contribute to unmarried women heading households ( Blankenhorn, D.,1995; Liaw, F and Brooks-Gunn,1994; McLanahan, S., 1977; Zill, N., et al., 1995).

This study utilized an explicitly emic view of family formation and disruption among 40 poor, white single mothers living in two small cities in the southeast region. The life history interviews focused on events and factors leading to the women's current marital and parent status as well as their perceptions of how well their children are faring. Data consists of responses to open-ended questions designed to elicit descriptions of selected aspects of the women's life histories focused on family formation and parenting. Interview content was analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti

Findings from this research reveal numerous factors influencing the women's trajectories to single motherhood in a state of poverty. These factors reflect complex dynamics in their families of origin, community and other cultural norms regarding women's status, limited educational and other critical kinds of resources and opportunities. This study provides in-depth information about what poor white single mothers define as the salient influences on their choices related to family formation and parenting. These findings contribute to the social work knowledge base regarding the intersection of race, class and southern regional culture in family formation.

References

Blankenhorn, D. (1995). Fatherless American: Confronting Our Most Urgent Problem. New York: Basic Books.
KidsCount 2000 South Carolina. http://www.org.state.sc.us/kc.html.
Liaw, F. and Brooks-Gunn, J. (1994). Cumulative familial risks and low-birth-weight children's cognitive and behavioral development. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 23, 4, 360-372.
McLanahan, S. (1997). Parent absence or poverty: Which matters more? In G.J. Duncan and J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds). Consequences of Growing Up Poor (pp. 35-69). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Zill, N., Moore, K.A., Smith, E.W. Steif, T., and Coiro, M.J. (1995) The life circumstances and development of children in welfare families: A profile based on national survey data. In L. Chase-Lansdale and J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds). Escape from Poverty: What Makes a Difference for Children? (pp. 54072). New York: Cambridge University Press.