Help for anthropology class

[ChilliPepper]

I know I am not around much since the new board started. That is because I am a crazy woman working full time, plus starting a new business and going to college 16 units this semester.
I need some help with my anthro class- I have created a questionnaire about single parenting with 3 different scenarios. Please answer the questions with a yes or no, and then add any comments or observances of different cultural attitudes at the end. I really appreciate your help. If you want to keep your responses private, please send it pm or to my email [email protected]. Thank you in advance!

Single Parenting Questionnaire
What is your heritage- Asian, American, African American, Hispanic, Native American , Indian, European
Based on the following scenarios, please evaluate the questions

Single parenting by choice
1) Does the parent receive the same support network as a married parent would from the community- religion, social groups, family?
2) Does the child receive the same nurturing from the community as the child of a married couple would?
3) Do cultural values impact how parenting is accomplished by a single parent rather than by a couple?
4) Is the child’s personality development different than in a two parent home?

Single parenting as a result of divorce
5) Does the parent receive the same support network as a married parent would from the community- religion, social groups, family?
6) Does the child receive the same nurturing from the community as the child of a married couple would?
7) Do cultural values impact how parenting is accomplished by a single parent rather than by a couple?
8) Is the child’s personality development different than in a two parent home?

Single parenting as a result of death of spouse
9) Does the parent receive the same support network as a married parent would from the community- religion, social groups, family?
10) Does the child receive the same nurturing from the community as the child of a married couple would?
11) Do cultural values impact how parenting is accomplished by a single parent rather than by a couple?
12) Is the child’s personality development different than in a two parent home?

Please add any comments or analysis here:

 

[ABBY W.]

As a sociology major, I have a comment. Is this questionnaire to be given to lay people? I think your questions are too subjective. Any single parent is automatically going to say that they're child is receiving the best possible care and attention. To say otherwise would feel like admitting they are an inadequate parent. Can you tell me what your thesis is? What are you trying to determine?

Many people are not going to understand what you mean by "support network" or how to tell is a child's development is different. You might do better to devise questions that will help you evaluate these things yourself. Maybe asking questions about the parent's life conditions prior to and after the event that caused them to be a single parent (involvement in church, community activities, etc, also economic impacts, did the parent have to take on an additional job, for example), also questions to assess differences in the child's personality during these two times. It would be easier for you to assess whether the child was on "schedule" for normal development and then deviated from that, than it would be for the parent, because you can assess their answers with a more objective eye.

You can compare the before and after answers to draw your own conclusions.
Remember, we are in the social sciences, the "soft sciences", but you still want to be as scientific and objective as possible.

You should also consider adding an "other" category to your demographics question, as many people do not consider themselves to be just one single race. For instance, I am of asian, and caucasian heritage.

 

[ChilliPepper]

As a lay person myself, I assumed that people understand the basic premise of a support network- after all it is mentioned repeatedly that this site is a support network for people for various reasons. For example, a parent came on here asking questions about an autism diagnosis, and she received help. If we knew her parenting situation and were part of her local community, would we treat her differently based on that? I don't have children, so I don't know much about how a child develops, but I know that in the court of public opinion, some parents are treated differently than others about their decisions to raise children. That is what I am trying to establish- are parents and their children treated differently because of a single parent status and does the reason behind being a single parent matter?

This not for an in-depth paper, it is a very basic, introductory level project.

 

[tskoffina]

Was the point to answer based on your situation, or what we think would be true for all senarios?

 

[ChilliPepper]

I re-did the questions

Hopefully it is more clear- I am awful at things like this, so thank you for helping me realize it was poorly written.

Single Parenting Questionnaire
Based on the following scenarios, please evaluate the questions in your opinion with a yes or no answer. Please provide any comments at the bottom

Community is defined as religious groups, social groups, family

Single parenting by choice
1) Do you and your community provide the parent with the same support network as a married parent?
2) Do you and your community provide the child with the same nurturing as you would the child of a married couple?
3) Do cultural values of your community judge more critically the parenting methods of a single parent- for example do you expect more/less discipline, more/less recreational time?
4) Do you notice a difference in personality of a child from a single parent home from a child from a two parent home?

Single parenting as a result of divorce or separation
5) Do you and your community provide the parent with the same support network as a married parent?
6) Do you and your community provide the child with the same nurturing as you would the child of a married couple?
7) Do cultural values of your community judge more critically the parenting methods of a single parent- for example do you expect more/less discipline, more/less recreational time?
8) Do you notice a difference in personality of a child from a single parent home from a child from a two parent home?


Single parenting as a result of death of spouse
9) Do you and your community provide the parent with the same support network as a married parent?
10) Do you and your community provide the child with the same nurturing as you would the child of a married couple?
11) Do cultural values of your community judge more critically the parenting methods of a single parent- for example do you expect more/less discipline, more/less recreational time?
12) Do you notice a difference in personality of a child from a single parent home from a child from a two parent home?

Please add any comments or analysis here:

 

[tskoffina]

I'm sorry. I really want to help but I think I'm missing something. I fit best into the single parent by choice. Do I just answer that one based on my experience, or all of them as I believe them to be?

Ok. I get it now. I think though you might think about seeing how the individuals view it. Get it from both sides.

 

[ChilliPepper]

Answer all 3 categories based on how you feel. Would you treat a person differently if they were a single parent by choice, if they were separated of if their spouse had died? So, if you treat them the same as a two parent home parent, you say yes. If you would if they were single because they lost their spouse, but not if they chose to be a single parent, you would answer yes in the death section and no in the by choice section. Does that help?

For example, my personal response to the nurturing of a child is no for a by choice, and yes to the other two. My comment regarding that difference is that people tend to nurture out of sympathy when a loss has happened, where as a child that has only had one parent from birth has not had that loss and does not miss the extra nurturing.