Research post

{ 12/03/2009 @ 5:10 pm } · { Uncategorized }

Provide the full MLA citation for your source (and despite new formats, would you please include the url so that someone else in class can locate the source.)

Sandberg, John F, and Sandra L Hofferth. “Changes in Children’s Time With Parents: United States, 1981-1997.” Demography. 38.3 (2001): 423-436. Print.

In as comprehensive terms as possible, what is the author’s argument?  What terms or contexts might you need to include/explain/define for someone that has not read it as carefully as you?

The article is looking at the time children spend with their parents in 1997 as compared to 1981. They look at different types of familes-single parent and two family, and different types of parents, such as mothers who are working vs stay at home mothers. They also look at the education of the parent(s) and how that affects the time chidren spend with their parents. The article says that “children spend less time with parents today than several decades ago because of changes in maternal labor market behavior and in patterns of family formation and dissolution.”

Give at least two of the author’s main points of support for his/her argument, and explain how they work to support it.

The argument is based on research that was done to look at the changes in children’s time with parents.

“The expected structural effect of increased female labor force participation is a reduction in children’s average time with their mothers or with either parent.”

Single parenthood constrains children’s time with mothers in ways not related simply to employment or unemployment. An example would be scheduling constraints at work.

Note at least three other minor ideas/references  that the author makes that people might find useful in their papers.

“Education of the household head exerts a significant effect on children’s time with either parent. Children who had parents who had four years or more of college spent more time with them.”

The number of children also affects how much time parents spend with their children. “If mothers and fathers have fewer children, they might spend less time at home and therefore less time with an individual child.”

“The time spent with parents is thought to be important for their cognitive and social-emotional development.”

Finally, give at least two examples of arguments or points that a writer might use this article to support.  (Be specific here: mention particular themes, relationships, ideas, texts, etc.)

Children are now spend less time with parents due to an increase of women in the workforce, and family formation patterns.”

Some other reasons that affect the time children spend with parents is the level of parents’ education and number of children in the family.

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