I decided to write my paper on the wage gaps for single moms.” The article included does a good initial overview, touching on some of the complexities of the issue. Its finger points first at one potentially misleading fact – that women are making up a majority of the workforce. Most of us know that and, even with this being true, we know that women are still statistically being paid less than men. Other stats support that both parents in a household are working more and collectively earning well above the average cost of living. Questions have been raised, though, about quality of life, specifically pertaining to work-life balance. Many households with two working parents report problems balancing work and home life. Quality of life can be called into question, even with those earning decent incomes.
So, what might this tell us about a household where a single mother’s income is the sole income for the home? Even though she’s earning one thousand more than a married woman, what’s the single mom’s work-life balance? How’s the quality of life shaping up in that household? In America, woman are still socially responsible for the lion’s share of household duties and caring for children. What’s a single mom’s work-life balance? How is she excelling in her career? Is she able to provide adequate support beyond finances for her home? Is she able to participate in networking developmental opportunities outside the home? Are her children able to do the same during their formative years? Is there a cloud of non advancement over these homes? Does this affect a single mom’s self esteem and willingness to pursue greater opportunities. How is her job responding to this challenge? Are they supporting her development are are they taking advantage of a loyal but stagnated employee. I hope to explore this story that is permeating our communities more and more, as American society trends towards more single motherhood.