An analysis of the concept of lone parent family from an investigation on lone parent family units

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to deepen in one of the most complex and less debated questions of loneparethood, the concept of lone parent family itself. We begin with a definition that, obtained from a review of the literature, was used in an empirical research on lone parent families in Castilla y León. Next, we explain the methodological framework in which the concept was tested and review the features of the concept that best captured the reality of lone parent families in that region. Finally, we discuss the results and point to its most important limitations with the goal of improving the concept as a tool for scientific analysis.