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Postsecondary Education and Economic Well‐Being of Single Mothers and Single Fathers
Author(s) -
Zhan Min,
Pandey Shanta
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00045.x
Subject(s) - single mothers , human capital , single parent , single parent family , panel study of income dynamics , sample (material) , psychology , demographic economics , higher education , educational attainment , race (biology) , economics , developmental psychology , sociology , economic growth , gender studies , chemistry , chromatography
We investigate the effects of postsecondary education on the economic well‐being of single parents. The data for this study are from the 1993 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, with a sample of 930 single mothers and 168 single fathers. The results indicate that postsecondary education, particularly a 4‐year college degree, improves the economic status of both single mothers and single fathers. Controlling for the effects of education and other factors, single fathers fare better than single mothers, and White single parents fare better than their African American counterparts. To benefit single parents, social policies must devote more resources toward human capital development and reduction of gender‐ and race‐based discrimination in the labor market.