Children of Divorce and One-Parent Families: Cross-Cultural Perspectives

One-parent families, particularly female-headed households, are found to be widespread in cross-cultural data. By examining such families in diverse societies, insights can be gained which give a broader perspective to the situation of one-parent households in our own society. When viewed cross-culturally, the oneparent family is found to be neither pathological nor inferior. Children in such families often do not suffer from economic or psychological deprivation. Whether or not the single-parent household becomes a personal or social disaster depends upon the availability of sufficient material resources, supportive social networks, and the tenor of culturally-structured attitudes toward it.