Women and children last : the poverty and marginalization of one-parent families

Rapid changes in the size and structure of households in industrialized developed nations are producing new patterns of poverty and marginalization. On-parent families, largely composed of women and children, constitute one of the most rapidly-growing family types. Evidence from Britain and Australia reveals their extreme marginalization in the labour market, and their concentration into public housing. These problems are related to patriarchial structures within society, particularly the expectations of traditional gender roles and the segregation of women's job opportunities.