Understanding relationships among restructured family life, faith community involvement and religious perceptions of post-divorce custodial mothers
Abstract
To discern changes in religious perceptions and practices and how these related to family restructuring dimensions, qualitative data were collected by interviewing 20 post-divorce custodial mothers (PDCM) of various faiths. Women saw themselves as different, more individuated, but eschewed admitting their ideas had changed and thought of differences between double and single parenting as quantitative not qualitative. Women reported increased satisfaction with mothering due to elimination of husband/wife value conflicts, the woman's role conflicts and, for some, the perceived taboo of pursuing a career. The greater burden of lone parenting was worth the freedom to parent her way, as a creative endeavor and receive total credit. Few women reported regretting divorce on their own behalf and most still defined family as two adults raising children. All PDCM reconsidered the extent of their religious involvement. A deep faith didn't automatically mean women stayed involved. They liked activities they could do with their children and feel like a "real" family. Reticent affiliation was more linked to personal growth and independent thinking than with age, amount of time single, denomination or even depth of faith. Women were tied to the faith community less for direct support and more for its perception-changing resources. A woman most wanted to feel her situation was "understood". If she felt no congregation could convey acceptance and comfort, she often chose non-alignment, seemingly as her way to preserve the theology she already had. Women described a paradigm shift: they moved from an intellectual epistemology toward knowing via experience. This gave them new bases for evaluating truth and reconsidering religion's prescriptions for family roles. Cognitive dissonance between expectations of their religious beliefs and the way they perceived the demands/realities of their current family situations was usually resolved by seeking a more liberal faith or congregation. Scripture was most useful for guidance and encouragement. The relationship of God/higher power to their decision-making was perceived most often (by conservative, fundamental and liberal women alike) as one of "divine fate." Women no longer cared if religion was theologically systematic but wanted a tool for spiritual and daily support.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Targ, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Theology|Womens studies
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