Family Background and Single Parenting among Unmarried Mothers in Nigeria

Abstract

Families serve as the initial point of contact since one of their primary responsibilities is socialising children according to societal norms. Generally, the parents have to educate and rear their children in line with these standards and principles, overseeing the child's social, psychological, and emotional well-being. However, because of divorce and separation, the responsibility often falls to a single parent, typically a woman. This research aimed to better understand the experiences of unmarried women with children by examining their socialisation and lessons learned from their familial backgrounds. Thirty key informants recruited via a Facebook group of single mothers were interviewed in Nigeria. Findings were subjected to a qualitative thematic analysis and the findings suggest that the decision to stay unmarried while having children owed partly to their upbringing and experiences of male molestation and violence. That the women chose to remain single as with how their mothers and role models were treated their husbands evinces that the upbringing received from parents significantly impact the direction of the women's lives. To obviate single parenting, the study suggests that girls should be educated from a young age on the importance of embracing two-parent families to ensure the well-being of their children.