Subjective Well-Being of Adolescent Boys Living in Single-Mother Households in a Cape Town Suburb, South Africa

Abstract

Abstract

Disrupting Patriarchal Perceptions of Single-Mother Families: An Analysis of Adolescent Narratives

“…The context of the study was the single-mother household, a type of family structure that is common both locally and internationally. The traditional family consisting of two parents of the opposite sex is not the norm in many contexts, including South Africa (Bojuwoye and Sylvester 2014;Shung-King et al 2019), and in addition, countries such as South Africa show staggering rates of domestic violence, sexual abuse and emotional or physical absenteeism linked to male figures, creating significant trauma for women and children including some of the participants in this study. These realities and the lived experiences of many people call into question the status of the traditional family as necessarily being an ideal family structure in all cases, and challenge the essentialist view of fathers as providing stability and being a necessary component for healthy development and educational success within family units.…”

“…Additionally, there is the single-parent household, headed by a single mother or a single father. In the South African context, a mother is most often the sole parental figure in single-parent households (Bojuwoye and Sylvester 2014), with 46.4% of households in South Africa being female-headed (Shung-King et al 2019).…”

A systematic review of the South African work on the well-being of young people (2000–2016)

“…The studies tended either towards specific definitions of well-being (e.g., Bojuwoye & Sylvester, 2014; Tibesigwa, Visser, & Hodkinson, 2016) or generic descriptions (e.g., Edwards, Ngcobo, & Pillay, 2004; Jonker, Koekemoer, & Nel, 2015). Definitions of well-being were largely determined by the focus of each study and conceptual perspective adopted.…”

“…Koen et al (2011) supported earlier research (e.g., Louw & Louw, 2007) that female adolescents tend to lack self-confidence, engage in riskier sexual behaviour, experience lower academic achievement, and have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships when the influence of a father is lacking. Bojuwoye and Sylvester (2014) reported dissatisfaction with social support among adolescent boys living in single-mother households, which may be due to being deprived of same-sex role models and strained relationships with opposite-sex parents.…”

“…Eight studies reported findings on the effects of socio-economic factors on adolescent well-being emphasising the negative impact of poverty on well-being. Cheng et al (2014) reported that high levels of depression and post-traumatic stress was evident in adolescents who live in economically distressed areas, while Bojuwoye and Sylvester (2014) identified financial insecurity as a significant contributor to negative emotional, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes of adolescents living in single-mother homes. Both Bachmann DeSilva et al’s (2012) and Govender et al’s (2014) findings support the idea that living above or below the poverty threshold was a stronger indicator of psychosocial outcomes than orphanhood.…”