Definitions of single-parent from across the academic landscape.
Dictionary Definition of Single-Parent
a person bringing up a child or children without a partner
Academic Sociology Definitions of Single-Parent
we define single parents as those who do not co-reside with a partner
(Harkness & Salgado, 2018: 107)
men and women aged 18 and older who live with at least one child (under age 18) of their own and who do not live with a spouse or cohabiting partner
(Allred, 2019)
A single parent is a parent with one or more children, who is currently neither married, nor living together with his or her partner
(Lee et al., 2007: 152)
one adult (windowed, divorced, legally separated, or single) with own co-residing children under 18 years old but without a co-residing spouse (or non-partner adult)
(Steinmetz et al., 2021: 19)
someone who has unshared responsibility for the care and direction of his or her children
(Weiss, 1980: xi)
persons who were never married, or who are separated, divorced, not currently living with a legal or common-law spouse, or widowed with children
(Gucciardi et al., 2004: 70)
Single parents by choice (SPCs) are single men (single fathers by choice), or women (single mothers by choice), who actively choose to parent a child without a partner
(Graham & Braverman, 2012: 189)
References
Allred, C. (2019). Resident Single Parents: Mothers & Fathers. Family Profiles.
Graham, S., & Braverman, A. (2012). ARTs and the single parent. In M. Richards, G. Pennings, & J. Appleby (Eds.), Reproductive Donation: Practice, Policy and Bioethics (pp. 189-210). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139026390.011
Gucciardi, E., Celasun, N., & Stewart, D. E. (2004). Single-mother Families in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 95(1), 70–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03403638
Harkness, S., & Salgado, M. F. (2018). Single motherhood and child development in the UK. In The triple bind of single-parent families (pp. 101-124). Policy Press.
Lee, S. M., Kushner, J., & Cho, S. H. (2007). Effects of parent’s gender, child’s gender, and parental involvement on the academic achievement of adolescents in single parent families. Sex roles, 56, 149-157.
Steinmetz, S., Nohlen, N., Bertarelli, G., Giusti, C., & Pratesi, M. (2021). Identifying And Monitoring Vulnerable Groups In The European Union Labour Force Survey.
Weiss, R. S. (1980). Going it Alone. New York: Basic Books.