Single Parent Family - Real Life Social Factor/Life

Single Parent Family - Social Factor

Discuss single parent family real life social factor/life. Discuss the common sense perspective.

The society is the outer shell in which dwells the man since ages imperceptible. In fact history testifies the fact that man has been a social animal since anyone can care to remember. The evolution of man has been a saga that has run parallel to the evolution of the society. The current sophisticated society in which we inhabit had undergone several changes and slow metamorphosis which has been marked innumerable number of stages through which the man and his society has passed. One thing that has been common in all ages is the groups and the sects that had enveloped man to protect him from various forces of natural calamity, foreign forces and also pangs of solitude. One such very important circle or the group that did protect man in one and all situation was that of his family. We see that family did comprise of people who were related to each other through blood ties as well as ties that were determined by the society as a whole. Parents & siblings is an example of the former whereas husbands and wives are the examples of the former (Henslin, 2007).

In the history of human sociology the institution of marriage has been a very important element and is considered to be the nucleus of several other branches of relations and extended family of which the children were the most important. The institution did issue a relationship between a man and women that did stand irrevocable. In the current times however we see that the marriage no longer is considered to be the solid base of a complete family in the future. With the exceeding number of failed marriages and dilapidated relations, families with single parents raising their children and coping with the various challenges of life has become a regular vision. In this perspective we will be looking at the cases of single parent families and their struggles, social perspectives and the policies adopted by the existing government and social structures, in this case the Lewis ham borough in England (Turgot and Meek, 2010).

Recent trends in the Great Britain do reveal that single parent families and their number have been on an incredible increase in the country and its society. The number of the single parent families has gone up so high that couples making a family in fact have become a majority in terms of number. Records have recently revealed that there are nearly seven parliamentary constituencies where the single parent families are the majority in the population count. There are nearly 2 million such families in the UK as per the opinion of the experts. Hence the numbers of children who are being raised in such families are again no less bad are in fact in certain cases the more dominant trend. In this context we could add that Britain records the highest of such type of families as in comparison to any other European country of the contemporary times. Out of the seven parliamentary constituencies’s one – Lewisham Deptford has a record of nearly 58% of such household which comprises of the single parents bringing up their children all alone (Bornstein, 2002).

Sociological Perspective

However in this context we see that the brunt of a broken home is borne worst by the young kids of the family. In this case we see that as even opined by the experts children do require the looking after from both the parents, even grandparents if possible. Children from single parent families often face the danger of low academic results and even social vices like development of habits of drugs and alcohol. The UK welfare system in this case should do more than just supporting the single parent and must insist on the staying together of the parents (Halpern, 2005).

Lewinsham Deptford has been recorded as the constituency that has the highest number of single parents. In fact recent survey researches have revealed that England does have the second highest number of single parents. What is more shocking is the dilapidated financial situation of the single parent who is bringing up the child. In this case we see that nearly 48% of the single mothers who are bringing up their children all by themselves were unemployed and were supported by the government. In this case we see that the aspect of single parent family and economic struggle did go hand in hand (Allen, Dowling and Williams, 2000).

In the current times we see that the marriage as an institution has slowly lost its solidarity. We see that the sociological perspective of relations and values of families have dilapidated in the recent times. In the context of UK this is quite true, which is reflected through the huge range of divorce cases that are occurring in the English society. However even though single parents have become a majority in certain parts of the country and the society has changed and even adjusted its perspective to a huge extent we can say that single parent families do witness some very grave severities in the course of their daily lives. One such problem is the inadequate funds backing the family. Quite obviously we see that the working places and offices of the nation are having their shares of the single parents pursuing careers to meet the family requirements. This again can take a toll on the family relations and the quality time spends with kids. Growing up for such kids can often be quite difficult (Beckmann and Beckmann, 2007).

We see that the increasing number of casual relationships without much of a commitment and again the decline on the part of the couples to adjust with each other happens to lead to a surmount in the number of the separation cease and breaking down of families. The Sociological perspective in this case will always be mixed since the nation is seeing a good number of single parent cases hence the acceptability of the same is on an incline but at the same time the acceptance quotient can do nothing to reduce the challenges that does exist in bringing upon a child all by a single parent and supporting the family at the same point of time. Although socially acceptance of such families and such kids can be moderately high nevertheless we see that adverse effects are still recorded quite often in which cases we see that children of such families do go astray in their futures (Halman, Sieben and Zundert, 2012).

Policies

As mentioned earlier the Lewinsham constituency is probably the highest of the lot that records the greatest percentage of single parent families. In this case we see that the government and the constituency do enforce certain policies which are mainly formulated to look after the children of the society. The main aim of the constituency is to protect and safeguard the kids and the younger generation who are living with the single parents and to see to the fact that such kids do have the proper amenities that will be helping them to grow up in the correct way and in the correct direction. The main points of concern of the constituency are to:

• Ensure that the children are healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve while they grow up
• Make a positive contribution to the society and have moral education
• Ensure the economic well being of the children and the young people.

The social policies of Lewisham are to see to the fact that the children of the society are brought up in a safe and sound way. The constituency tries to see to the fact that the economic or the emotional imbalance of the single parent will not be affecting the child in his or her growing up years, which again will be contributing to the platform of strength that will help the children grownup and become some of the most successful individuals of the nation and its society (Waller and Criddle, 2013).

Conclusion:

In the light of the above discussion it could be said that the work that is being done by the Lewisham constituency and the social policies that the constituency has taken to protect and to safeguard the nation and its upcoming generation who due to no fault of their s are subject to the curse of a broken home. However in this context again one can point out to the fact that being the government which in other cases is taking some of the most decisive roles is doing really nothing to control this rising trend of breaking homes. In other words it could be said that the government of the nation is extending all the economic support to the single parents but is passing no legislature that could stop or prohibit the young couples to take such steps that later gives rise to a situation where a third and innocent little life bears the brunt of the whole situation. This aspect of the government, probably taken for not to violate the independence of its citizens, in fact is helping the rising number of divorces and houses being led by single parents. To control the trend the government now has to take some serious and decisive steps even if that curbs the independence of the people considerably.

References:

Allen, I., Dowling, S. and Williams, S.,2000. A leading role for midwives? : evaluation of midwifery group practice development projects. London: Policy Studies Institute.

Beckmann, F. and Beckmann, K., 2007. Social security between past and future : Ambonese networks of care and support. Berlin: Lit.

Bornstein, M. 2002. Handbook of parenting. Mahwah, N.J: Erlbaum.

Halman, L., Sieben, I. and Zundert, M., 2012. Atlas of European values trends and traditions at the turn of the century. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill.

Halpern, D. 2005. Social capital. Cambridge, UK Malden, MA: Polity.

Henslin, J. 2007. Down to earth sociology : introductory readings. New York: Free Press.

Turgot. and Meek, R., 2010. Turgot on progress, sociology and economics : a philosophical review of the successive advances of the human mind, on universal history reflections and on the formation and the distribution of wealth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Waller, R. and Criddle, B., 2013. The Almanac of British Politics. London: Taylor and Francis.