A Phenomenological Study of Women Raised in a Single-Mother Household and How They Describe Success as Adults

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how women in northeastern Ohio raised in single-mother households described a successful adult life. The theory guiding this study was the family systems theory developed by Murray Bowen between 1954 and 1959, as it defines support from family and social relationships for children raised in single-mother homes.Ten women who were raised in a single mother led household and who were identified as being successful as defined by the terms of this study participated. A qualitative phenomenological approach was utilized which allowed participants to provide detailed descriptions of their lived experiences through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data was collected from individual interviews as well as a focus group, and the merging themes were reviewed for common patterns and then coded. The findings of this study revealed that if women raised by a single mother had other systems of support, they were able to obtain success in their life. The findings from this study will serve as a valuable contribution to the ongoing scholarly research on single mothers and single-parent households.