The Weight of Worries, the Warmth of Motherhood: Single Mothers’ Perception of their Socioeconomic Conditions

Abstract

Single mothers are succumbed to socioeconomic conditions. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of single mothers in poor urban communities, focusing on their daily struggles, available support systems, and coping mechanism. A descriptive-qualitative research design was employed using in-depth interviews with selected participants and this study underwent thematic analysis of the data gathered. This findings revealed that single mothers in urban poor communities perceived their socioeconomic conditions as a complex balance of financial struggles, daily responsibilities, and joy and fulfillment of parenting, reflecting the intertwined realities of hardships and resilience in their everyday lives. Based on the findings, future research may use advanced statistical methods such as multiple linear regression and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) – based questionnaire to identify social support factors influencing the socioeconomic conditions of single mothers, transform qualitative subthemes into measurable variables, and develop validated tools for a clearer, evidence-based understanding of their lived realities.