Back to Search Start Over

Ex-Partner, Family, Friends, and Other Relationships: Their Role Within the Social Network of Long-Term Single Mothers1

Authors :
Claire Malo
Source :
Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 24:60-81
Publication Year :
1994
Publisher :
Wiley, 1994.

Abstract

This study explores various aspects of support in the social network of long-term single mothers: the nature of expected help and of offered support, the attitudes behind support, the strategies for requesting help, the reluctance to ask, the efficacy of received help, the perceived refusals, and the behaviors judged as harmful. Thirty women separated for at least two years with a child aged under 10 were chosen following the snowball technique, and participated in this study. The content analysis of the semi-structured interviews shows how the dynamics of social support varies according to the relationship to the target person: ex-partner, family, friends, or “other relationships”. For instance the ex-partner, when mentioned, rarely offered the expected support and was perceived as harmful. Family members often lived up to their expectations, but women were generally very reluctant to ask them for help. Friends were the most efficient helpers and were the main persons from whom mothers expected cognitive support. The “other relationships” offered a certain amount of help, especially at the instrumental level but, as with the ex-partner, they were frequently perceived as harmful. Finally, we advocate for an “ecological” approach to measure social support in the context of the interaction in which it occurs.

Details

ISSN :
15591816 and 00219029
Volume :
24
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........5ab89cade3614070a277abe8b1bbe583
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1994.tb00553.x