Fragile families and the reproduction of poverty - Coursework Example

Fragile families and the reproduction of poverty “Fragile Families” is a term in the reading that refers to a category of familiesoften considered vulnerable owing to their inability or difficulty in sustaining the basic needs. Economic status is a fundamental factor that influences the categorization of some families as fragile. Additionally, most of such families comprise of single parents who, therefore, lack the companionship and moral support of spouses. The vulnerability of such families thus arises from the fact that they are often likely to have poor health and extensive lack of the basic human needs.

The author states that married and unmarried parents come from different worlds. Such is a significant argument, which she builds by pointing out the vulnerability of unmarried parents. Most of the unmarried parents are poor. They earn less and are, therefore, likely to miss some of their needs. Their conditions are further worsened by their loneliness, which implies that they do not have the financial or psychological support of their spouses. Married parents enjoy a number of benefits a feature that contributes to their ability to create cohesive and progressive families despite their poverty for poor families.

Multi-partner fertility is a concept that refers to an adult’s experience of having different children with different partners. A woman can, for example, have two or three children by different men. Such a composition has varied consequences for fathers, mothers and the children. The mother will experience pressure from the various most of whom will want to be part of their children’s lives. The father, on the other hand, will have to put up with the bloated family while some surrender their children as their spouses marry other men.

The children will have immense genetic diversities that affect their growth and the cohesiveness desired in a family.ReferenceMcLanahan, S. Fragile Families and the Reproduction of Poverty. Princeton: Princeton University press.