Relationship Constellations and Dynamics of Low-Income Rural Mothers

Abstract

To address the policy debate surrounding the use of funds from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families for marriage-promotion activities, this article profiles the nature of low-income rural mothers' relationships with their partners and the nonresidential fathers of their children. It presents the results of interviews with 35 lowincome mothers from two rural Maryland counties. Although the analyses revealed that the presence of a male partner was not related to a mother's economic or emotional well-being, other sources of social support buffered mothers against their economic challenges. The authors conclude that social workers should integrate informal family support into their service delivery plans and that policy makers need to consider alternatives to fostering economic self-sufficiency among rural low-income populations.

Growing up in Rural vs. Urban Poverty: Contextual, Academic, and Cognitive Differences

“…It has been suggested rural families may play a greater role in children's development than urban families because of the greater isolation of families in rural areas [42] and also because social networks in rural areas are more likely to be kin-based than those in urban areas [43]. In turn, rural children may have less access to inluences outside the family.…”

Development of the language proficiency of five- to seven-year-olds in rural areas

“…Because of this isolation, it has been suggested that the qualities of rural families may play a greater role in children's development than do the qualities of urban families (Marotz-Baden, Hennon, & Brubaker, 1988;Vernon-Feagans & Cox, 2013). Another consequence is that social networks in rural areas are more likely to be kin-based (Kohler, Anderson, Oravecz, & Braun, 2004). Rural children may thus have less access to influences outside the family, resulting in a greater influence from their own families.…”

Obtaining a "Global Lens" through International Service Learning: A Framework for Family Science Courses

“…Comparisons should be made with similar samples of urban residents because these results may provide additional support for considering rurality as a unique context of human development (Simmons et al, 2007b). Kohler et al (2004) suggest that social workers be schooled in integrating informal family support into service delivery plans. Social workers and family service professionals can play key roles in addressing policy implications of this research.…”

“…Many mothers shared information on how family, friends, and churches supported them in times of need. Such support included giving objective opinions, being there when needed, and sending help when asked (Kohler, Anderson, Oravecz, & Braun, 2004). Simmons, Braun, Wright, and Miller (2007) reported that a model of economic well-being that included both social support and human capital provided a better fit for the data, as social support was a key contributor to long-term success of rural families.…”

“…Social support mitigated rural families' hardships (Mammen, Dolan, & Seiling, 2015) and buffered them against economic challenges (Kohler, Anderson, Oravecz, & Braun, 2004). Although needs were high and resources were few, mothers used various support networks to meet their needs (Seiling, Manoogian, & Son, 2011).…”