黑料社

By Dr Nicola Carroll

GIVEN that one in four children now grow up in  and that 42% of marriages  you might expect prejudice against single parents to be a thing of the past.  Yet,  found that 75% of single parents had experienced stigma.

Indeed, Boris Johnson has  about a column he wrote for  which  as 鈥渋ll-raised, ignorant, aggressive and illegitimate鈥�.  When pressed on the comments , Johnson said this was written before he was in politics.

It鈥檚 maybe not surprising, then, that mothers who took part in  described feeling isolated, stigmatised and frustrated with negative stereotypes.

In fact, most participants in the study said they wouldn鈥檛 tell someone they met for the first time they were a single parent, viewing it as a 鈥渓abel鈥� which they automatically associate with 鈥渂eing judged鈥�.  Some told me about critical remarks made by relatives, colleagues or acquaintances.  Others spoke of being 鈥渄ropped鈥� from their social circle after their divorce or not being invited when couple families got together for meals and outings.

Judged and shamed

Stereotyping was by far the most common symptom of stigma raised by mothers from a range of backgrounds and circumstances.  Unsurprisingly, The Daily Mail newspaper and Jeremy Kyle Show were named as prime culprits for portraying 鈥渢eenage mums deliberately getting pregnant so they can scrounge off the state鈥� and 鈥渟ingle mums who don鈥檛 know who the fathers of their children are鈥�.

Interviewees believed these images are perpetuated in the media because it attracts larger audiences than reflecting realities of their own lives such as balancing work and childcare.  They were angry that programmes portraying single parents as irresponsible then prompt 鈥渘asty鈥� social media posts.

Parents also discussed the impact of stereotypes on their self-esteem.  As one explained:

I fell into that whole stigma of broken families 鈥� I was judging myself because I鈥檇 listened to opinions out there in society 鈥� the media and policies at government level.

Why the stigma?

Where psychologists  cognitive processes entailed in stereotyping, sociologist Erving Goffman examined stigma as a manifestation of broader social relations.  His  described how so-called 鈥渘ormals鈥� are respected for meeting cultural expectations while those who 鈥渇all short鈥� of the criteria become 鈥渄iscredited鈥�.

Goffman argues that having a 鈥渟poilt identity鈥� hinges on what is deemed socially desirable at a particular time and place, rather than a person鈥檚 attributes.  This explains why non-marital birth and divorce have lost their stigma in Western society.  But this doesn鈥檛 tell us why single parents, , still face stigma.

Sociological researchers  have built on Goffman鈥檚 insights to show how labelling and cultural beliefs cause 鈥渦s and them鈥� distinctions, leading in turn to status loss, discrimination and disadvantage.  Where Goffman concentrated on personal interactions, Link and Phelan view wider economic, social and political power structures as essential to the reproduction of stigma.  And analysis of these forces may indeed shed light on why single-parent stigma continues.

Looking first at finance, mothers without male partners through history have been .  Medieval villagers would throw stones and use crude instruments to 鈥溾�� outside the doors of unmarried pregnant women 鈥� who they saw as an economic burden on the parish.

Church records from the  detail disputes over financial responsibility for 鈥渂astards鈥�.  Tabloid attacks on single parents could then be seen as a modern equivalent of medieval 鈥渞ough music鈥� 鈥� coupling concern over resources with moral condemnation.

Researchers have demonstrated how stereotyping of single mothers is also inextricably linked with  and .  Policies of successive governments have reinforced single-parent stigma.  Research shows how 鈥�,  has influenced public attitudes and .  And welfare reform means young single parents, who meet with most disapproval,  than those over 25.

Ending unhelpful cliches

For stigma to stop, the media need to look at the facts, rather than recycling unhelpful cliches.  Indeed, .

Research also shows that having a single mother has 鈥� and .  Ironically,  and  often seem to depict lone parenting in a more rounded way than journalism can manage.

Public policy must also do more to understand the practicalities of lone parenting 鈥� given the fact that single parents are more likely to be  than other benefit claimants. One of the mothers in my study with eight-year-old twins and no support described being negatively 鈥渏udged鈥� for not working, yet unable to take a cleaning job starting at 5am, which she was advised to apply for.  Recognising such predicaments would be a major step towards breaking the stigma cycle.