Family Structure Influence on Children\'s

Family Structure Influence on Children's Importance In Education And Self-esteem

Family structure may be defined as the parents and their relationships to the children in that home. It refers to the recurring interaction patterns within a family that define how family members relate to one another and the outside world, and what activities members engage in. The functionality of family structure is determined by the degree of permanence and of flexibility -- not necessarily by some preferred or optimal configuration of the family, though that can be a strong influence as well. (McAdams, Foster, Dotson-Blake, & Brendel, 2008)

There is no doubt in most expert opinion that this structure and the proper application of it determine the outcomes of children's lives. A family structure can affect the availability of financial as well as quality time resources that parents might have to spend with their children or to be involved in their education. Financial resources available due to family structure might also affect the educational course a child may take and their physical and mental well-being. Children in families that are not "intact" are, according to research, less likely to achieve high self-esteem and educational goals than those raised in a family structure with a single parent, step-parents, a cohabiting relationship, or foster care. In other words, family structure, in the life of a child, is a very big deal (Schneider, A., & Owens (2), Family matters: Family structure and child outcomes, 2005).

If we think about it, the family structure is the first encounter a child has with the socialization process. And it is the child's "success" at the relationships within the family that becomes his first source of self-esteem. His or her role as a male or female, son or daughter, sister or brother, etc. establishes the child's first thrust at establishing an identity of their own.

And, since the parents take the role of mentors in the family as the child establishes that identity, the quality of those relationships and the level of self-esteem attained is due to how available, intimate, and supportive the family structure is (Net industries, 2010).

Operating within the family structure exposes a child to the first experiences with fairness, injustice, comparisons with other siblings, and, particularly, critical feedback. Brothers and sisters are usually all too eager to express their dissatisfaction with each other and are not shy about it. This feedback can involve all aspects of a child's being including behavior, appearance, dress, "social skills," and intelligence. Not all these critical comments affect a child's self-esteem equally since the child can filter out the source of the criticism. The appraisals they receive from the parents, however, hold far more importance. Therefore, if the family structure is such that feedback is not "balanced" to the child, or one or both parents are not present, then there is correlation between lower self-esteem and less encouragement, support, and controlled discipline (Net industries, 2010).

In one study concerned with the social adjustment of students Rosenberg, Schooler, and Schoenbach (1989) found that high self-esteem students were more likely to perform well in school, be happier, and were less likely to be loners. So, again, the correlation between educational achievement, self-esteem, and family structure, since it is the structure that is a primary causative factor of the other two (McCullough, Ashbridge, & Pegg, 1994, p. 1).

Another study, under the auspices of Loyola University, New Orleans sampled 94 participants from three high schools and one church youth group in Louisiana (James, 2009).

Thirty-two males and sixty-two females, ranging in age from 14-18 took part in the study. The bottom line after the study was that perceived family support and self-esteem were significantly positively correlated. When proper family structure and the resultant relationships, and support did not exist, the person's more negative evaluation of him- or herself was a predictor of social problems for that individual (James, 2009).

As there is such a high correlation between "negative" family structure and low self-esteem with resultant social incongruity, many research studies show direct links between this lack of family structure and substance abuse, unprotected sex, criminal behaviors, depression and even suicide. Family structure and support is a major influence on self-esteem.

The proportion of children in our country that have been raised in "typical 2-parent homes" is significantly less than it was 40 years ago. Around the 1960s, that percentage was 85%. In 2003, it was about 70%. At the same time, children being raised in single-parent families has doubled. Statistically, by the age of 18, over 50% of children in the U.S. are going to spend a portion of their childhood in a single-parent home. These numbers, experts say, make it crucial that we understand how the changes in the structure of the family influence many areas of children's lives, including educational outcomes (Schneider, Atteberry, & Owens, Family structure and children's educational outcomes, 2005).

And, again, the results of studies in this specific area indicate that, taking into account any other external factors, when it comes to achievement in an educational setting, children living with their own married parents do significantly better than other children. The influences that family structure and support can have are so strong they can counter the negative forces of social status or cultural background. It is established by study after study that what the parents do in the home provides the opportunity for academic success for the child, and not the family's background. Parents who give the child stimulation and support make the difference (Net industries (2), 2010)

And there are reasons that two-parent families form a better backbone for academic and other successes for the child than single-parent families. Without going into all the details of the research, the idea is that the absence of one parent is usually associated with less time spent with a child and less parent involvement. This, then, on average, results in less positive outcomes at school. From an economic perspective as well, the suggestion is made that the financial hardship in a single-parent family is most likely to require teenagers to work, in addition to going to school. They also must take more responsibility for younger siblings. And, as a result, these activities not only lead to exhausting them in addition to their schoolwork, but lead to lower achievement levels at school (Net industries (2), 2010).