Volume 18 - Article 13 | Pages 377-408
Effects of single parenthood on educational aspiration and student disengagement in Korea
| Date received: | 02 Jul 2007 |
| Date published: | 16 May 2008 |
| Word count: | 8811 |
| Keywords: | divorce, educational aspiration, Korea, school disengagement, single-parent families |
| DOI: | 10.4054/DemRes.2008.18.13 |
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.
Author's Affiliation
Hyunjoon Park - University of Pennsylvania, United States of America
Most recent similar articles in Demographic Research
»
Educational Differences in Divorce in Japan
Volume 28 - Article 6 | Keywords: divorce
»
Untraditional caring arrangements among parents living apart: The case of Norway
Volume 27 - Article 5 | Keywords: divorce
»
Divorce risk factors and their variation over time in Spain
Volume 24 - Article 31 | Keywords: divorce
»
A note on race, ethnicity and nativity differentials in remarriage in the United States
Volume 24 - Article 13 | Keywords: divorce
»
Intergenerational transmission of women’s educational attainment in South Korea: An application of a multi-group population projection model
Volume 24 - Article 3 | Keywords: Korea
Articles
Citations
Cited References: 57
»View the references of this article
Download to Citation Manager
Similar Articles
PubMed
Google Scholar