Lone-Parentage

• What can lead to lone parenthood?

  Marriages breaking down, death, or separation
• How many lone-parent families were there in the UK in 2020?

  2.9 million
• What percentage of families in England and Wales were lone-parent families in 2020?

  14.7 percent
• How do sociologists differentiate between lone parenthood and single parenthood?

  Single parenthood is by choice from the start
• What difficulties do lone parenthood and single parenthood share?

  Both face practical and emotional challenges
• What has been the trend in the number of lone parents in the UK?

  Gradual rise over past decades
• What is a significant reason for the rise of lone-parent families in the West?

  Increase in divorces
• How do unmarried cohabiting partners compare to married couples?

  Unmarried partners are more likely to break up
• What societal change has occurred regarding unmarried women giving birth?

  No longer a stigma attached
• What percentage of Black Caribbean families in the UK are lone-parent families?

  45 percent
• How do lone parents challenge traditional gender roles?

  They fulfill both breadwinner and homemaker roles
• What is the relationship between socioeconomic status and lone-parent families?

  Different backgrounds lead to different experiences
• What is a common characteristic of lone parents from working-class backgrounds?

  Lower incomes or living in poverty
• Which community has the lowest percentage of lone-parent families?

  Asian families
• What type of support do stay-at-home lone parents receive in the Netherlands?

  Support to avoid poverty and deprivation
• What type of support do working lone parents receive in Sweden?

  Generous wages and childcare support
• How does the UK welfare regime support lone parents?

  Mixture of work and childcare support
• What does Robert Chester argue about family forms in Western society?

  Nuclear family remains the ideal family style
• What do functionalists believe about lone parenthood?

  Support government legislation for families in need
• What do feminists claim about the traditional nuclear family?

  It exploits women through patriarchal structure
• What does the New Right blame for the rise of lone parenthood?

  Welfare-dependent single mothers and moral decline
• What do postmodernists believe about family setups?

  Individuals can choose their family types
• What do personal life perspective sociologists focus on?

  Experiences of the lone parent as an individual
• What are the key takeaways about lone parenthood?

  • Lone parenthood involves one parent caring for children.
  • Rise in divorces contributes to lone-parent families.
  • Majority of lone-parent families in the UK are lone-mother families.
  • UK welfare support is a mix of work and home benefits.
  • Many lone parents remain in poverty due to lower wages.