Single Parents: A Reference Handbook

by Karen L. Kinnear

Overview

Single Parents offers an overview of this growing phenomenon, the problems faced by single-parent families, and their impact on society.

Topics include men and women as single parents, single-mother families and poverty, the legal system and single parents, gay and lesbian parents, moral issues, and the effects of growing up in a single-parent family. The experiences of single parents in other countries are also discussed.

This volume lists numerous resources, among them federal government programs; state statutes concerning child custody and adoption; private and public organizations; a guide to literature, films and videos; and information on the Internet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576070338
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/24/1999
Series:	Contemporary World Issues
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Karen L. Kinnear is a professional writer and the author of several books for ABC-CLIO.

Editorial Reviews

Books like this one are so helpful and handy for busy reference librarians needing to get students pointed quickly to the effective research paths that the reviewer is sure that it will find a home in many libraries, particulary those serving undergraduates needing social science references. On topics such as this one, there are almost too many information possiblilities and having a book to recommend further reading and Internet sites will be appreciated.” —American Reference Books Annual

From the Publisher

Kinnear, the author of four previous books in ABC-CLIO's "Contemporary World Issues" series (e.g., Women in the Third World, LJ 1/98), here presents a book whose purpose is "to provide a survey of the available literature and other resources on the topic of single parenthood and to provide sources for further research." Following the series format, the seven chapters provide a hodgepodge of information relating to single parents. The introductory review includes about a page of information each on such topics as financial problems, domestic violence, and welfare mothers. A 20-page chronology of events primarily covers the last few decades. Brief biographical sketches of people like Jane Mattes, a psychotherapist and single mother, and Geoffrey Grief, who has published numerous articles on single parents, are marginally interesting but not particularly relevant. The "Facts and Statistics" section provides fairly limited statistics but does set them in historical context and includes summaries of Supreme Court decisions relevant to single-parent families. An annotated directory of private and public organizations that work with single parents includes the addresses for organizational web sites. The final section of the book consists of annotated bibliographies of print sources, videos, and Internet resources. Kinnear is careful to consider issues of relevance to single fathers as well as single mothers, but only a few brief sections explicitly cover areas outside the United States. The directory and bibliographies may be useful to high school students and undergraduates conducting beginning research, but much of the information can be gathered with little effort from library catalogs, periodical indexes, and Internet search engines. Only for libraries that want to maintain the entire series.--Kathleen Collins, Arizona State Univ. West Lib., Phoenix Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

A background resource to inform debates and research at the undergraduate level. Overviews the phenomenon of single parents in the US, the problems the families face, and their impact on society. Includes a chronology, biographical sketches, facts and statistics, a directory of organizations, and selected print and non-print resources. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)

Booknews