For Kim Woods

Ethnography

Park University

Fernando Pupo

October 6, 2013

Abstract

The main purpose of Ethnography is to provide a detailed description and clear understanding on the way of life from the standpoint of the natives/members/insiders of a community. It involves a research undertaken when one is residing with the specific research group for a specified period of time. The population I will be studied is approximately 1200 people and I will use a random sample. The method to be used is qualitative data and specifically the use of questionnaires. I will be able to visit the people in Killen village in Alabama and to interact with them in friendly way and adapting their way of life. The type of questions I will ask will vary from one person to the other. Adults may have difficult questions while children may have simpler questions about how they feel about their parents. It is important also to build a good relationship with the interviewers so as to get the right and relevant information from them (Wolraich, 2008).

Topic

The topic of the research study will be “How being raised by a single parent affects children’s development”. This topic is best in the context of rural areas and may be good in the research.

Introduction

Single parents face a lot of challenges in raising their children especially in rural areas. Women are mostly faced by the problem due to poverty. Women are often left by men and have to take care of their children no matter the circumstances and thus, results to problems in the development of the child. This research paper addresses the issues faced by single parents in Killen village in Alabama City, U.S in raising their children. This problem has affected the social life of people especially in their jobs as they keep thinking about the development of the child as well as how they cope with one parent. Emotion and pain is the other problem caused by single parenting in the society. It has affected the whole society in terms of high prices of living and other essentials (Hauser, 1997).

Literature review

Single parents are not appreciated that much in the society. People have had many different opinions on this. The development of a child raised by a single parent is very difficult. They may have questions concerning their other parents and may affect them psychologically. This may eventually lead to difficulty in education and may even affect their future. The study requires a qualitative data with the following steps:

Preparing for a Field Study:

a. Self Awareness: In case of a field research human and personal factors play a very crucial role. Self Awareness is an essential requirement for a field study and the researcher needs to have the ability to notice minute details in the field and also have empathy for other people. When preparing for the field study one should be aware of personal concerns, commitments, and inner conflicts.

b. Background Investigation: In the initial stages of the research study we should understand the important concepts, potential pitfalls, data collection techniques and strategies by reviewing scholarly literature.

c. Practise Observing and Writing: The success of any field research depends on the observatory skills of the researcher. It is very important for a researcher to comprehend situations and write down those observations.

In the initial stages of research the researcher may have to face embarrassment, experience discomfort. The researcher may find it difficult to interact with the participant. This stage is where he learns the ropes of the study. After the initial discomfort the researcher should try and normalize the research. In this stage the different members need to adjust to the study. Once things are normalized the researcher should build rapport with the different members of the study and develop a sense of trust with the members. The researcher should continuously find new areas which he can involve in his research study (Hauser, 1997).

Methodology

I will be conducting a questionnaire each day interviewing one person. The questionnaire will vary from one corner of the village to the other. I will interview all the age groups starting with children to the old people in the village. The size to be sampled is very random and not specific. Each questionnaire is to be filled by different people so as to get different views on the effects of single parenting in the development of a child. The type of study being used in this context is ethnographic and assessment will be needed at the end of the questionnaire.

Findings/results

Many people agreed that single parenting affects the development of children throughout the stages of child development. Many people in the village are responsible for their children because the village has not more than 5 single parents. Women in particular had a very strong point concerning single parents. Many of them stated that single parenting affects the habits and behaviour of children. Many of them would feel neglected and may also develop phobia to people or other children (McLanahan et al, 1994).

Discussion

Chid development is greatly affected by the status of their parents. Many interviewed people agreed that the growth of a child depends on the environment he lives. A child may hear other children talking about their mothers of fathers yet those themselves have one parent. Such issues may interfere with the psychology and the physical being of a child. He/ she may feel bad about it and may be even embarrassed in front of other children. Stages of child development start from when they are born to old age. The findings can impact on creation of policies and practices that can help in child development. The outcomes showed that many children raised by single parents suffer the problem of shyness and fear in the community. The findings are real and justifiable and can be shown by children with single parents. However, there may be problems still associated with implementing policies because a body of legislations cannot govern the lives of every child with single parents (Fetterman, 2010).

Conclusion

The findings concluded that there is actually a big problem of child development in the area of study, which is Keller village. I recommend parents to be very cautious when dealing with the responses and how they treat their children. It is very important to handle children well in their growth to avoid implications in the future.

Reference

Fetterman, D. M. (2010). Ethnography: Step-by-step. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Hauser, R. M. (1997). Indicators of children's well-being. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

McLanahan, S., & Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single parent: What hurts, what helps. Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.: Harvard Univ. Press.

Wolraich, M. (2008). Developmental-behavioral pediatrics: Evidence and practice. Philadelphia: Mosby/Elsevier.