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Journal Article 1: Schmitz, C. (1995). Reframing the dialogue on female-headed single-parent families. Affilia, 10(4), 426-441.

Abstract: The increase in female-headed single-parent families, and the high rates of poverty among them, caused by changing economic and social support structures, is an international phenomenon. The traditional negative focus on the deviance of this family structure has led to blaming unmarried women, rather than implementing economic and social support structures that could lift their families out of poverty. This article presents data on these families and suggests ways of reframing the dialogue to broaden the lens under which social work educators, students, and practitioners view single-mother families.

Journal Article 2: Willetts, M. (2006). Union quality comparisons between long-term heterosexual cohabitation and legal marriage. Journal of Family Issues, 27(1), 110-127.

Abstract: A longitudinal analysis is conducted on the union quality of long-term cohabiting and legally married couples using data from both waves of the National Survey of Families and Households. An analysis of racially homogamous (Anglo-American and African American) couples indicates that the cohabitors and marrieds do not differ significantly with regard to their frequency of conflict, perceptions of equity, and relationship satisfaction, although age, educational attainment, and educational homogamy affect differentially the cohabitors’ and marrieds’ perceptions of equity with time, and the cohabitors’ satisfaction in particular is negatively affected by the number of children biologically related to both partners.

Journal Article 3: Fagan, J. (2012). Effects of divorce and cohabitation dissolution on preschoolers’ literacy. Journal of Family Issues, 34(4), 460-483.

Abstract: The present study hypothesized that 48-month-old children of divorced mothers would score lower on emerging literacy than the children of formerly cohabiting mothers, compared with the children of mothers in stable marriage. The children of mothers who divorced or exited cohabitation but then remained single did not have significantly lower literacy than children of mothers in stable marriage. The children of divorced parents who then cohabited with another man fared significantly more poorly on literacy tests than children of continuously married parents.

Journal Article 4: Miller, L. E., Vanzomeren-Dohm, A., Howell, K. H., Hunter, E. C., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2013). In-home social networks and positive adjustment in children witnessing intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Issues, 35(4), 462-480.

Abstract: Evidence suggests that social support may act as a potential protective factor for psychological maladjustment, but few studies have examined the social support networks of young children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study examined the in-home networks for 120 preschool-age children who were recently exposed to male-to-female IPV.