Effects of single parenthood on educational aspiration and student disengagement in Korea

Abstract

The recent rapid increase in divorce, along with its distinctive cultural and welfare environments for single-parent families, makes Korea an interesting case for examining effects of single parenthood on children's education. Using data from Korean 9th and 12th graders, I compare the levels of educational aspiration and student disengagement between students with two parents and those with a single parent, distinguishing divorced single fathers, widowed single fathers, divorced single mothers, and widowed single mothers. Logistic regression analyses show that students with a divorced single parent, regardless of gender of the parent, are much less likely to aspire to four-year university education and more likely to be disengaged than their counterparts with two parents. The effects of widowhood disappear once control variables are held constant. Lower household income among single-parent families explains in part the poorer educational outcomes of their children. Parent-child interaction is another important mediating factor for the effect of single fatherhood but not for single motherhood. The relevance of the extended family system and distinctive features of post-divorce living arrangements in Korea is discussed to understand the effects of single parenthood.

Divorce Trends in Asia

“…There have been very few studies comparing children in single-parent families and children in 'intact' (two-parent) families in Asia. A recent study by Park (2008) finds that in Korea, children in singleparent families have lower educational aspirations and higher levels of disengagement than children from two-parent families. A more complicated picture is presented by Xu et al's (2007) study of children in single-parent families in China. In comparison to intact families, children in single parent families express lower wellbeing, but this is mediated by academic achievement.…”

Divorce in Korea: Trends and Educational Differentials

“…Studies conducted in the United States and other Western societies have consistently found educational disadvantages associated with single parenthood, particularly due to divorce (Borgers, Dronkers, & Van Praag, 1996; Kiernan, 1992; McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994). Because the rapid increase in divorce in Korea is very recent, research on relationships between single parenthood and children's education is limited; however, there is some evidence that, as in the United States, single parenthood has a strong negative association with children's educational outcomes in Korea (H. Park 2007a, 2008). This evidence, combined with our results showing that divorce is increasingly concentrated at the lower end of the educational spectrum, points to the potentially important implications of changing family behavior in Korea for social stratification and the reproduction of disadvantage.…”

Children’s Education in The Story of Single Mothers in Qur’ȃn

“…The husband or the father also shares responsibility with the wife in educating prenatal children by giving the gentle touch to the fetus. In the case when the Husband is dead or incapable of accompanying the pregnant wife for a long time, the woman will probably face mental problems such as feelings of loss, economic, and social issues of [33].…”