SOCIAL STUDIES

(SBA)

SINGLE PARENT

Candidate name: Khadija Quarrie

Name of school: Holy Trinity High

Teacher: Mrs. Rodney

Subject: Social Studies

Centre no.: 10050

Registration no.:

Problem Statement

What are the problems encountered by single parents in my community?

The study seeks to find out:

If single parent is a widespread The causes of single parent The problems that single parent face The average of single parent

Reasons for selecting this area of research

The researcher has chosen this topic because, I have been living on the community for approximately sixteen years. I have noticed that there are a number of single parent families in my community and having to submit a SBA in partial fulfillment of the Social Studies course I have decided to do an investigation into the challenges faced by single parent in my community.

Table of Content

Acknowledgement………………………………………………….. 1

Problem of Statement ……………………………………………… 2

Method of investigation ……………………………………………. 3

Justification of method …………………………………………….. 4

Questionnaire ……………………………………………………. 5 - 7

Procedures used to collect data ……………………………………. 8

Presentation and Procedures used to collect data ……………….. 8

Graphs and tables ……………………………………………… 9 - 18

Interpretation ……………………………………………………. 19

Findings…………………………………………………………… 20

Recommendation………………………………………………….. 21

Appendix…………………………………………………………… 22

Method of Investigation

In order to collect data for this survey printed questionnaires were used. This data collection tool was used because.

Justification of Method

It requires little time to be completed. It can be done at the convenience of the person required to

have it completed. It guaranteed confidentiality since respondents are not

required to attach their names to questionnaire.

Questionnaires1. What is your sex?

Male Female

2. What is your occupation? _________________________

3. How many children do you have?

1 – 2 5 – 6

3 - 4 over 6

4. What caused you to become a single parent?Divorce Migration Separation Death

5. How do you support your family?

Employed Family support Self – employed Friends

6. In what age group do you fall?

18 – 23 yrs 24 – 35 yrs

23 – 29 yrs 35 – 40 yrs

7. Do you get any financial help from the other parent?

Yes No

8. How frequently do you get support?

The end of the week The end of every two week

The end of every month Other_________________________________ (please specify)

9. How long have you been a single parent?1 – 2 yrs 3 – 4 yrs 5 – 6 yrs Other____________________________ (please specify)

10. How long do you spend with

your child/children per day?

Under 1 hour 1 – 2 hours 3 – 4 hours

11. Do your child/children attend

school regularly?

1 day per week 3 days per week 2 days per week 4 days per week 5 days per week

12. What is the average grade of

your child?

A C B D

13. Do you support your

child/children with school work?

Yes

No Sometimes Other____________________________ (please specify)

Procedures used to collect data

As stated earlier, Fletchers Land has approximately 200 households. It was calculated that a sample of 80% was necessary in order to ensure accurate conclusions on the level of prevalence of single parent families in my community.

A total of 40 questionnaires were prepared for distribution to the community members.

I therefore decided to choose the households by a process of random selection which will cater for the requirements mentioned above. Each slip of paper was folded and placed into a box. The box was closed and shaked vigorously to ensure a thorough mixture of the numbers. A total of 20 slips were drawn from the box, one at time, while shaking the box in the process.

The 40 households thus selected were then supplied with questionnaires I waited until all questionnaires were completed and then went home to analyze the data I collected.

Presentation and procedures used to collect of data

A total of 40 questionnaires were distributed to community members of these respondents, 90% were female and 10% were male.

Pie charts showing causes of single parent family.Question 4Figure 1

DeathDivorceSeparationMigration

Key

Fiq 1 shows the causes of single parent in my community. It can be seen that 60% have become single parent due to separation, 20% have become a single parent because of migration, whereas 15% were caused by divorce and 5% of the single parent caused by death.

Table showing length of time being a single parentQuestion 9Table 1

Options No. of persons

Tally Percentage %

1 – 2 years 2 10%3 – 4 years 4 20%5 – 6 years 6 30%Over 6 years 8 40%

Table 1 shows that 10% of the residents been living in the community for 1 – 2 years, 20% have been living there for 3 – 4 years, meanwhile 30% of the resident have been living there 5 – 6 years whereas 40% have been living there for over 6 years.

Pie chart showing whether or not single parent get help form the other parent.Question 7Figure 2

YesNo

Key

Figure two (2) shows that Seventy-Five percent 75% of the respondents does not get any financial support from the other parent. While Twenty-Five 25% of the respondents get financial help from the other parent.

Table showing frequency of the supportQuestion 8

Table 2

Options No. of persons

Tally Percentage

The end of the week

3 Ш 15%

The end of every two weeks

5 IIII 25%

The end of every month

2 Ⅱ 10%

Other/ whenever, he/she brings the money

10 IIII IIII 50%

Table two (2) shows that at the end of every two 15% of the respondents receive money from the other partner, 25% of the respondents receive money at the end of every two weeks, 10% receive money at the end of every month whereas 50% receive money whenever the other partner brings it.

Bar graph showing frequency of students’ attendance at schoolQuestion 11Figure 3

1 day per week

2 day per week

3 day per week

4 day per week

5 dat per week

0%

500%

1000%

1500%

2000%

2500%

3000%

3500%

4000%

days of the week

Key

Fig 3 shows how frequently the child/children attend school. 40% of the respondent child/children attend school 1 day per week, 35% respondents child/children attend school 2 days per week, 25% attends school 3 days per week, while 15% attends school 4 days per week and 5% attend school 5 days per week.

Table showing average grade of childQuestion 12Table 3

Options No. of persons

Tally Percentage

A 3 15%B 2 10%C 6 30%D 8 40%

Table 3 shows the average grade of the child/children. It can be seen that 15%of the child/children have A average, 10% of the respondents child /children have a B average whereas 30% of the respondents child/children have a C average and 40% of the respondents child/children have D average.

Bar graph showing age group of respondentsQuestion 6Figure 4

18 - 23 years23 - 29 years

29 - 35 years35 - 40 years

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

% r

esp

on

den

ts

Keyages of respon-

dents

Fig 4 shows the age group of single parents within the community. Between the ages of 18 – 23 years old 50% of the respondents are single parent, 35% of the respondents are between the ages of 23 – 29years old, while 40% of the respondents are between the ages of 29 – 35 years old and 10% of the respondents are between the ages of 35 – 40 years old.

Table showing the number of children single parent haveQuestion 3

Table 4Options No. of

personsTally Percentage

%1 – 2 3 Ⅲ 15%3 – 4 5 ⅠⅠⅠ 25%5 – 6 10 50%

Over 6 2 Ⅱ 10%

Table 4 shows the number of children the parents has. 15% of the respondents have 1 – 2 children, 25% of the respondents have 3 – 4 children, while 50% of the respondents have 5 – 6 children and 10% of the respondents have over 6 children.

Bar graph showing how single parents support their familyQuestion 5Figure 5

EmployedSelf employed

Family supportFriends

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Series 1Column1

Fig 5 shows how these respondents support their family. 10% of the respondents are employed, 45% of the respondents are self – employed while 35% get family support and 20% of the respondents support their families by friends.

Pie chart showing whether or not parent support children with school workQuestion 13Figure 6

Whenever they have timesometimesYesNo

Key

Fig 6 shows how the parent supports their child/children with schoolwork. 65% of the respondents help their children child/children with schoolwork whenever they have time, 20% of the respondents provision with the school sometimes, 10% of the respondents say yes the support their child/children with assignments and 5% of the respondents does not assist their child/children with assignments.

Appendix

DEPRESSION WITHIN THE HOME

HAPPINESS WITHIN THE HOME

Findings

Their ex- partner supports some single mothers financially.

However emotionally single mothers are left on their own to

see the emotional and psychological side of the child

development.

Results of a review of problems associated with separation

indicate that not only are very large numbers of children

involved, but separation seems to be associated with serious

effects for children and adults. A very substantial number of

children of separation family almost live in poverty and

experience reduction in family income. This is caused by

poor performance of fathers providing financial support for

their children.

Many single parents have problems trying to balance their

children lives and personal lives. Most times children lack

adequate attention; these children are at risk for

involvement in dangerous behaviors or self-injury due to the

lack of supervision from parent.

Recommendations

The importance of knowing the consequences of being a

single parent can become effective. The Parenting

Association within the community can invite the National

Family Planning board to educate the younger residents on

how to plan for a child, always try to use contraceptive along

with further discussion and solutions.

Social workers should visit the community at the end of

every month, to ensure that children are attending school,

nutritious and also being well cared for. Whereas person who

can’t meet the financial status, these workers will assigned

the underdeveloped homes to the PATH program, which will

assist parent with financial and academics needs.

The child development agency in enforcing the Child Care

and Protection Act can take greater actions towards the

parents not supporting child, by placing the parent in court

or imprisonment if she/he refuses to support the child.

Acknowledgement

I proudly take this opportunity to thank my teacher Mrs.

Rodney for her valuable time in helping me with the

gathering of this information and ideas for this project. I

would like to thank god for the strength and knowledge

he has given me throughout the research of this project.