American’s Perspective on Single-Parent Households is Changing
By Veronica Hernandez
For decades, the total number of children residing in the United States within single parent households has risen tremendously, as well as a decrease in marital rates and an increase in birth rates amongst unmarried couples. Today, one-in-four parents residing in the U.S. with a child are classified as unmarried. The continuous downfall in marriage rates as well as an upsurge in birth rates from unmarried parents, highlights a startling transition from five decades ago, when less than seven percent of parents raising their children were unwed.
Statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau examined how Americans’ household structures vary by race and/or ethnicity, further proving that U.S children of minority ethical groups such as African and Latin-American families have lesser chances of living in this variety of structures than predominantly “white” families. Due to the current growing advancements and evolution of unmarried parenthood within the U.S., critical demographic distinctions primarily reside amongst married and unmarried parents, yet there is now a difference among unmarried parents too. In addition, there have been a few cases amongst single and cohabiting parents, that have seen climatic differences emerging amidst mothers and fathers.
The primary distinctions between single and cohabiting households are in the racial and ethnic profiles of these parents. Separating single parents, surveys show 42% are white and 28% are black, versus 55% of white cohabiting parents and 13% who are African-American. These divisions are guided predominately by the different racial backgrounds amongst the large number of single-mother run households. Single mothers are exceedingly 30% as likely to be from African-American background as the 12% who are cohabiting moms. Which is approximately four times as likely as seven percent of married mothers who are African-American. Four-in-ten single mothers are white, in comparison with 58% of cohabiting and 61% of whom are married mothers. Latin-Americans, on the other hand, are almost evenly presented over all three household categories — single, cohabiting and married parents — with no surpassing distinctions between Latino mothers and fathers.
Although unmarried parenthood is now progressively popular in present-days, numerous Americans consider the rise will have a long-term negative effect on society, especially by single mothers. In a 2015 US Census Bureau survey, two-thirds of Americans believed that the growing number of single women raising children on their own was harmful for the country, and 48% also agreed regarding unmarried parenthood. Approval of unmarried parenthood leads significantly low amongst those from white background, college-level graduates, and members of the Republican party. Yet, it leaves one to question whether or not they are being fair. As a grand majority if not almost all of the single parents are classified as “white”.
Viewpoints on unmarried parenthood differ dramatically by political party association. The staggering majority of members from the Republican party, elderly “Americans,” and those with higher levels of education are more than likely to categorize these new parenthood trends as a negative influence for society. There were racial divides as well, especially regarding attitudes towards children residing in unmarried households: 53% of whites stated more children living with unmarried parents are unethical, accompanied by 37% who were African-American and 32% of Latinos.
Additional analysis, however, alludes there has been a shift in perspective towards unmarried parenthood in recent years. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2012, 48% of Americans either agreed or strongly agreed that single parents are just as capable to raise children as two parents could. This highlighted a significant growth from 1994, when only 35% of Americans agreed. Simultaneously, two-thirds of Americans approve of a child contribution plan to aid families, with a grand majority from both Republicans and Democrats as well as independents.
Nevertheless, Americans are ready to blame single parents, particularly single mothers, when they’re not employed or classified as “working the bare minimum”. In recent data, 57% of Americans stated they were quite anxious that a child contribution plan accessible to middle class and low-income households would cause more single mothers to reduce their number of working hours every week.
The ability to lessen the percentage of single-parent households and reinforce the favorable circumstances for all children, especially those in need and living in hardship, extends amongst countless obstacles circling across the U.S. The newly approved alterations to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is predicted to relieve more than 4 million children above the poverty level this year, which lessens the amount of children in low-income areas by more than 40% and decreases the child poverty rate down to eight percent, which is a new record-breaking low.
It has become sufficiently evident that a large part of Americans and a majority of elected government officials are inclined to regulate household packages to assist middle class and low-income parents raise their children, particularly those children residing in single-parent homes.
