Sole Parent Research Articles

Father, Womb, Blood: Apollo’s embryological theory, the ethics of revenge, and the supposed exclusion of women in Aischylos’ Eumenides

In Aischylos’ Eumenides, Apollo intimates a theory according to which the father is the sole genetic parent of the child. The status of this conception, and whether it is depicted as an outlandish idea, has been much and inconclusively discussed. This paper considers a neglected piece of evidence: Apollo’s use of the very unusual word αὐτάδελφον when addressing Hermes. In light of the Greeks’ awareness of this etymology as well as the other instances of this rare word in tragedy, the author argues that Aischylos’ text highlights the etymological connection to δελφύς, the womb, thus evoking the role of the mother. This suggests that Aischylos subtly lets his, and Apollo’s, language rebel against the notion of merely paternal kinship, and the concomitant ideas about revenge, retaliation and children’s obligations to their parent.

An Intergenerational Perspective on (Re)migration: Return and Onward Mobility Intentions across Immigrant Generations

This article compares the prevalence and determinants of international mobility intentions across immigrant generations (G1, G1.5, G2, and G2.5), using French survey data. Two types of migration intentions are analyzed: (a) return to the (parents’) origin country and (b) onward migration to a third country. Results highlight migration intentions’ intergenerational variation and underlying logics. The probability to state return intentions is larger for G1 yet surprisingly similar to the stated return intentions for G2. By contrast, G2.5 (one immigrant and one French native parent) stand out as they are primarily characterized by onward migration intentions and are significantly less likely to consider “returning” to their sole immigrant parents’ origin country. Echoing the conceptual framework of “reactive transnationalism” or “reactive ethnicity,” the specific determinant of G2 return intentions appears to be their perception of discrimination. These findings show the value of (a) disaggregating the traditional first versus second generation dichotomy to understand the complexity of migration intentions and (b) including countries other than the parental homeland when studying second-generation transnational practices. More broadly, the article contributes to a better understanding of integration mechanisms by using migration intentions not only as proxies for population movements but also as a valuable framework providing empirical insights into immigrants’ personal relationship to both the country of residence and expected destination.

Psychological and parental functioning of widowed fathers: The first two years.

Widowed parents play a critical role in promoting family adaptation and facilitating their children's adjustment to the loss of a parent; yet the psychological wellbeing of these parents has received scant attention. In this study we examined depressive symptoms and grief intensity in 252 spousally bereaved men with dependent-age children. Participants learned of the study and completed initial surveys at variable time points during their first 2 years of bereavement. Depressive and grief symptoms remained persistently high, with 45% of the sample exceeding screening thresholds for clinically significant depressive symptoms two years after the death of their spouses. In linear regression models, higher intensity or frequency of depression and grief symptoms were associated with poorer psychological adaptation, lower parenting self-efficacy, and lower parenting satisfaction scores. Relationships between fathers' distress and potentially modifiable end-of-life variables regarding their spouses were examined. Notably, those who reported that their wives were at peace with dying had lower depressive and grief scores at various intervals. Overall, the magnitude and duration of the depressive and grief symptoms suggests that widowed fathers' psychological distress does not quickly abate over the first 2 years of bereavement, which may be attributable to the unique set of bereavement challenges facing widowed parents such as facilitating their children's grief, assuming sole parenting responsibilities, and managing a household on their own. The findings underscore the need to further examine emotional distress in widowed parents and how their wellbeing impacts family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

“You look a little bit dark for my liking”: Māori and Pasifika women’s experiences of welfare receipt in Aotearoa New Zealand

INTRODUCTION: Based on empirical research with Māori and Pasifika lone mothers, this article considers the way that discourses of ethnicity and welfare combine to shape the lived experience of welfare receipt. METHOD: Drawing from 16 focus groups and interviews conducted in 2014 throughout Aotearoa New Zealand with women receiving Sole Parent Support, we analyse the way participants spoke of their experiences with Work and Income New Zealand.FINDINGS: Our findings indicate that the negative experiences related to the receipt of welfare in New Zealand are intensified for women who identify ethnically as Māori or Pasifika. Many of the women who took part in the research attributed poor treatment, including the denial of access to welfare entitlements, to their ethnicity. Participants spoke of avoiding visits to welfare offices because of the racism they anticipated experiencing in these spaces. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant implications for these findings. We argue that identifying as Māori or Pasifika can have consequences in relation to accessing welfare entitlements and that ethnicity may negatively influence interactions within welfare offices in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Chromium speciation and its stable isotopic signature in the dolomite–terra rossa weathering system

We present the results of a study of chromium (Cr) content, Cr speciation and its stable isotope composition in a terra rossa weathering profile, which includes ferromanganese concretions (FMCs) and gibbsite spots, developed on dolomite in the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau in south central China. Sequential extraction results show that the Cr in all samples is present mainly within the residual fraction and oxidizable fraction, and that the Cr content of the exchangeable fraction and reducible fraction is very low. The significantly high Cr content (mean of 21.0 ppm) of the oxidizable fraction is a potential environmental hazard. The Cr in the terra rossa and gibbsite spots exhibits absolute accumulation throughout the profile; correspondingly, the FMCs are significantly enriched in most trace elements, except for Cr. Re-oxidation of Cr(III) to soluble Cr(VI) by MnO2 is likely responsible for the relative depletion of Cr in the FMCs. In the bulk dolomite, the δ53Cr values of the carbonate component and detrital component are 0.447‰ and −0.437‰, respectively. The δ53Cr signal in both fractions is heterogeneous, while both δ53Cr signals are significantly different from that of bulk silicate Earth (BSE; −0.124 ± 0.101‰). Our results provide a proof of concept that the allogenic Cr-isotopic composition of terrigenous minerals in carbonate rocks, can provide new insights into paleo-terrestrial oxidative weathering. Overall, the terra rossa is characterized by the enrichment of heavy Cr isotopes compared to the detrital component of dolomite. Hence, the isotopic signature of Cr does not support the idea that the detrital component in dolomite is the sole parent material of the terra rossa. The absolute accumulation of Cr and heavy Cr isotope enrichment in terra rossa indicate that the extraneous input of dissolved Cr(VI) with a heavy isotopic signature occurred during dolomite weathering and terra rossa formation.

Patriarchal Authority and the Southeast Asian Chinese Diaspora in Shirley Geok-lin Lim’s Passports and Other Lives

In Anglophone diasporic Chinese literature, father figures represent forms of authority that both daughters and sons need to grapple with to find answers to questions of identity. In this literature, paternal figures may be marginalized to thematize mother-daughter relationships and identify mothers as an important source of cultural transmission and empowerment. Or they may be viewed as the ancestors of a new diasporic community in a new land. Fathers could also be authoritarian, embodying patriarchal and masculinist authority. Or they could represent the difficulties of assimilation under diasporic conditions.In her memoir Among the White Moon Faces (1996), Shirley Geok-lin Lim gives her reader an account of the significance of her father in her life, especially after her mother left the family when she was still very young. Left with the father as her sole parent, Lim has a problematic relationship with him, a man who is susceptible to severe rages and capable of physical violence. When she travelled to the United States for further studies, she did so without the accompanying presence of her father. Lim’s immigrant experience in America is realized through the abjection of paternal authority.The significance of the father to the writing of the immigrant and diasporic experience is elaborated on in the poems selected for publication in Passports and Other Lives (2011). Lim’s poems make clear that even though this father did not join his daughter in her journey to America, he continues to haunt her life in a foreign land through dreams, photographs, and the persistence of memory. Enabling the daughter’s remembrance of her birth country, the haunting presence of paternal authority facilitates literary meditation on the construction of diasporic identity predicated on the tension-filled negotiations between past and present, between remembering and forgetting.

Both absent and omnipresent: the dead mother in Fleabag

ABSTRACTMothers in popular culture are frequently absent, which has varying consequences for their offspring. Whilst such an omission from the plot is often read as indicative of their lack of currency and worth in their children’s lives, this is not necessarily the case. Through an analysis of the British television series Fleabag, a modern fairy tale, this article argues that the absence of the mother can serve to magnify her importance rather than mitigate it, including in the lives of her adult daughters. Thus, the mother’s absence should not necessarily be interpreted as a lack of relevance, although such significance can be both positive and pathogenic. Equally, the presence of the father as the sole parent should not, by the same logic, be automatically read as a form of prioritisation over the maternal figure. Yet what makes Fleabag a particularly fascinating lens through which to study the trope of the absent mother in contemporary popular culture is that despite being dead and thus off screen, the maternal figure is simultaneously absent and omnipresent, repeatedly referenced through breasts. The dead mother is thus a constant presence, despite—and perhaps even as a result of—her absence.

Tuning the electronic‐optical properties of porphyrin‐like porous C24N24 fullerene with (Li3O)n = (1–5) decoration. A computational study

Using DFT methods, the electronic properties and the first hyperpolarizabilities of porphyrin‐like porous C24N24 fullerene decorated with (Li3O)n = (1–5) have been systematically investigated. It is found that Li3O molecules can effectively be adsorbed over N4 cavities of C24N24 with high interaction energies. This interaction is found to narrow the HOMO‐LUMO gap and work function values of C24N24. Thus its electronic properties are strongly sensitive to interaction with the Li3O molecules. Indeed, compared with the sole parent C24N24 fullerene, (Li3O)n = (1–5)@C24N24 possess large first hyperpolarizabilities (β0). Obviously, the Li3O superalkali chemisorbed over C24N24 fullerene exhibit not only excellent stability but also large first hyperpolarizability. Therefore, they are expected to be potential innovative candidates for excellent electro‐optical materials.

Acceptance and Caregiving of Married and Divorced Custodial Mothers and Fathers

The study examined whether differences in gender and family status affect parental caregiving disposition and acceptance of children among parents of children in mid-childhood. The number of participants were 122 divorced-custodial fathers, 107 married fathers, 85 divorced-custodial mothers, and 82 married mothers (n = 398). A comparison among four groups of parents revealed the following gender differences: mothers scored higher on anxious caregiving and parental acceptance than fathers, and lower on avoidant caregiving. Regression analysis indicated that the higher the caregiving avoidance or anxiety, the lower the parental acceptance. Family status moderated parental acceptance, as avoidant caregiving was associated with reduced parental acceptance among married parents, but not among divorced custodial parents. The finding that avoidant caregiving was not associated with reduced acceptance among divorced custodial parents implies that their parental acceptance behaviors toward their children are affected by their parental status as sole custodial parent, and the associated responsibilities, rather than by gender.

Almost within Cooee': The Implications, for Sole-parent Families Living beyond Melbourne's Suburban Edge, of Long-term Poverty and 'Duty'-based Interventions

Recognising and theorising poverty is a difficult task in Australia, which is among the world's wealthy nations. This paper describes incidental findings of contemporary Australian poverty experiences, mainly affecting sole parents, from a recent ethnographic research in 'Sephirah', a fictitious inner-rural Victorian community. The encompassing study investigated usage of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by a group of low-income Australians, who were generally unable to afford to consult with professional non-biomedical health providers. Anthropological participative research methods enabled basic statistical representation of households in a poor area, and documentation of health practices and beliefs, while in-depth interview narratives described the participants' experiences of a 'poverty status'. In conjunction with financial hardship, perceived difficulties arose from structured forms of discrimination, primarily impacting sole parents and their children, as the poorest sub- group among those enmeshed in long-term poverty, and secondly, mentally ill persons. These impoverished community members, in rural towns beyond Melbourne's peripheral suburbs, had few employment and educational opportunities, and limited support services. They describe impacts of morally-informed policy and welfare enactments by government, churches, and the health system, based on an idealised discourse that attributes seemingly unnecessary and destructive interventions to a doctrine of 'duty-of-care'.

Towards an all-vanadium redox flow battery with higher theoretical volumetric capacities by utilizing the VO2+/V3+ couple

Abstract An all-vanadium redox flow battery with V(IV) as the sole parent active species is developed by accessing the VO2+/V3+ redox couple. These batteries, referred to as V4RBs, possess a higher theoretical volumetric capacity than traditional VRBs. Copper ions were identified as an effective additive to boost the battery performance.

The challenges facing non-resident mothers following divorce: a literature review

ABSTRACTWhen couples divorce, custody battles regarding children may ensue. Whilst the majority of children reside with their mother post divorce there are a significant number of fathers who are sole parents living with dependent children. This literature review considers the research evidence from studies published since 1992 in order to highlight the challenges and presenting problems non-resident mothers may experience when accessing therapy. The reasons surrounding their non-resident status together with the difficulties they may encounter in attempting to retain contact are discussed. Suggestions for how counsellors may be able to work effectively with this group of women are made.

Motherhood and human rights violations: untold suffering?

ABSTRACTThe removal of Aboriginal children from their families gained national attention in Australia following the publication of the Bringing Them Home Report in 1997. Notably absent from this report, however, were first-hand accounts of the experiences of Indigenous parents, particularly of mothers, who were often the primary carers or sole parents of removed Indigenous children. This article explores whether the right to mother is adequately protected by existing UN human rights conventions, and argues that the lack of explicit protection of aspects of the right to mother within the international human rights framework contributes to the failure to identify and address violations of the rights of mothers in human rights inquiries and processes. Key factors are identified that contribute to our understanding of Aboriginal mothers’ ongoing silence throughout the Bringing Them Home Inquiry process and beyond, which have wider implications for the identification and investigation of violations of the human rights of mothers.

Shared Residence Among Parents Living Apart in Norway

Over the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in shared residence for children among parents living apart in Norway, and a related shift away from mother sole custody. Currently, 3 in 10 children in separated families have shared residence, compared to less than 10% at the beginning of the century. This likely reflects several factors, including more symmetrical parenting practices in intact families in Norway and policy measures that promote a more equal division of practical care and economic provision among separated parents. Shared residence is most widespread among those from high socioeconomic backgrounds. Parents with shared residence generally report better cooperation and less conflict than sole custody parents and also more gender‐equal caring practices prior to separation.

Contesting family-based violence: sole parenting possibilities and alternatives

ABSTRACTThis paper considers problematic recognisability and deficit constructions of sole parent families which I suggest contribute to conditions that can perpetuate family-based violence. Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s safety (ANROWS) state that one in four women in Australia have experienced at least one incident of violence by an intimate partner, equating to 2.2 million women who, since the age of 15, have experienced male intimate partner violence. A proliferation of discourses constructing the deficit ‘single mother’ tends to reinscribe the centrality and normative power of the hetero-nuclear family. When we obscure and restrict choice and alternatives to familial forms we restrict the possibilities of these alternatives becoming liveable lives. When deficit constructions of sole parenting are reinforced, people in dangerous and untenable violent family circumstances are less likely to view sole parenting as a possibility for constituting an alternative and happy family life.

Child Injury: Does home matter?

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo examine the relationship between home risk and hospital treated injury in Australian children up to five years of age. ApproachWomen with children between two and four years of age enrolled in an Australian longitudinal birth cohort study, Environments for Healthy Living (EFHL) between 2009 and 2011, were invited to complete a Home Injury Prevention survey. A total home risk score (HRS) was calculated and linked to EFHL baseline demographic survey and perinatal data. The child’s injury related state-wide hospital emergency department and admissions data was extracted from the child’s date of birth until 31 December 2013. Multiple imputation methods were used to impute incomplete multivariate exposure factors. Zero-inflated poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted rate ratios (RRs) between exposure (HRS quartiles) and outcome (count of injury related episodes of care) for child participants, accounting for individual person-years of exposure time.ResultsData from 566 child participants were included with outcomes data available for 97% of the cohort. Using data linkage of administrative health records with multiple survey data sources, we found an inverse relationship between home risk and child injury, with children living in homes with the least injury risk (based on the absence of hazardous structural features of the home and safe practices reported) having 1.90 times the injury rate of children living in high risk homes (95% CI 1.15-3.14). Whilst this appears counter-intuitive, families in the lowest risk homes were more likely to be socio-economically disadvantaged than families in the highest risk homes (more sole parents, lower maternal education levels, younger maternal age and lower income). After adjusting for demographic and socio-economic factors, the relationship between home risk and injury was no longer significant (p>0.05). Discussion and conclusionsThrough the use of comprehensive linkage of five years of state-wide administrative health data, combined with individual survey data methods, this study overcame the most significant threat to longitudinal research – loss to follow-up. Our results demonstrated that children in socio-economically deprived families have higher rates of injury, despite living in a physical environment that contains substantially fewer injury risks than their less deprived counterparts. These findings support continued efforts to implement societal-wide, long term policy and practice changes to address the socioeconomic differentials in child health outcomes.

Social disadvantage and developmental diagnosis in pre-schoolers.

To explore the association between social disadvantage and developmental diagnoses in pre-school children. Between 2012 and 2015, 845 pre-school children were assessed by the Child Assessment Team at Campbelltown Hospital. A social worker interviewed 469 families and these children were eligible for inclusion in the study. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was confirmed in 290 children. Of those without ASD, 72 did not have global developmental delay (GDD) and were excluded from the study. The remaining 107 children with GDD were used as the comparison group. Social risk factors in the two groups were compared using χ 2 tests. Variables with statistical significance were then entered into a logistic regression. After logistic regression, children with ASD were more likely to be male (odds ratio (OR) 3.1, 95% CI 0.195-0.529; P < 0.001) and their parents were more likely to have a clinically significant stress score (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.334-0.992; P = 0.047). Children with GDD were more likely to live in a disadvantaged suburb (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.042-2.940; P = 0.034), more likely to have a sole parent (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.062-3.082; P = 0.029) and much more likely to have had involvement with child protection services (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.044-7.416; P < 0.001). Children with GDD without autism were more likely to be disadvantaged and to have had contact with child protection services than children with ASD. This has implications for the assessment, early intervention and support services for children with disabilities and their families.

A Ten-Year-Old’s Use of Creative Content to Construct an Alternative Future for Herself

A Ten-Year-Old’s Use of Creative Content to Construct an Alternative Future for Herself

The experience of sole mothers balancing paid work with care for a child with a disability

AbstractThere are increasing numbers of families in Australia headed by sole parents, but little is known about the experiences of those who also care for a child with a disability. Additional caring responsibilities have previously been shown to impact on the work participation of parents. This study involved qualitative analyses of interview data conducted with sole mothers with school‐aged children with disability (N = 11). Thematic analysis revealed four themes that enabled and supported participation in the workforce: social support; managing appointments; characteristics of the workplace; and the role of the school. Results suggest the importance of practical help from family and friends in facilitating participation in paid employment. Additionally, the importance of flexible appointment scheduling on the part of service providers was highlighted, as well as the importance of workplace flexibility and supportive workplace cultures. Such factors were important in supporting sole mothers to balance work with care, with important implications for personal and family wellbeing.

The impact of mutual obligation for sole parents

Mutual obligation is located within a neoliberal socio-political framework of policies designed to structure an ordered and ‘disciplined society’ emphasising strong work-ethics and self-reliance. This article presents findings of three qualitative studies into welfare-recipient experiences under interventions allied to mutual obligation. The studies were of 14 (2000), 32 (2007) and 15 (2014–15) sole mothers in receipt of Centrelink payments. Participants voiced concerns over interventions targeting individuals predominantly already contributing in essential roles, fear of misdirected coercive punishments, increased stigmatisation, a lower real standard of living and unimproved prospects for suitable employment. The article explores past and present rhetoric and implementations of mutual obligation policies, and their impacts for people receiving welfare benefits. Ongoing critical analysis of such interventionist policies is essential to ensuring that the ostensible goals of addressing poverty and disadvantage are achievable and without excessive unforeseen consequences to society. Are they in the interests of social justice and stability?