Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

Lone Parents and Paid Work: Case Studies from Rural England, 2002-2003 provides a comprehensive analysis of the experiences of lone parents living in the case study areas of rural England. The study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to provide relevant statistical data, in conjunction with an in-depth analysis of the relationship between paid work and their caring responsibilities from the lone parents’ perspective. The qualitative transcripts are not currently available.

The dataset was created from data collected from a postal questionnaire survey. Colour-coded questionnaires were sent to the four case study districts: South Somerset, Mendip, Eden and South Lakeland. The case studies were selected to reflect a range of rural locations. The questionnaires were dispatched to single parents through ‘gatekeepers’ (schools, nurseries, health visitors, the Gingerbread group, Jobcentre Plus, Sure Start and the Connexions service) according to the existence and willingness of such institutions to cooperate.

Further information can be found on the ESRC Award webpage.


Main Topics:

The questionnaire was divided into five sections. This first asked recipients to describe the type of rural area in which they reside. The second section asked about their experiences of paid employment including if they participated in paid employment or not (and why this was the case), the number of hours worked and their childcare arrangements. The third section deals with issues related to household income, spending and debt. The fourth section focuses on lifestyle and wellbeing and the final section collects information on personal circumstances including gender, age, tenure, educational status and reasons for becoming a lone parent.