A Study of Children from Broken Homes in the Elementary School at Malta Montana
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1953 A study of children from broken homes in the elementary school at Malta Montana Robert Henry Berge The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Berge, Robert Henry, "A study of children from broken homes in the elementary school at Malta Montana" (1953). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5913. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5913 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A STUDY OF CHILDBEN FHCM BROKEN HOMES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT MALTA, MONTANA by ROBffiT H. BERGE B. A. Mantana State University, 1950 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 1953 Appro Dean, Graduate School ^ ^ 3 , Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP36714 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT OiMWtation RiUtthing UMI EP36714 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProOuesf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE PROELM AND DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS USED ............. 1 The Background of the Problem ........................... 1 The Home .................... « 2 Mobility of Population ......................... 3 War Children .................................... 3 Illegitimate Children................................ 4 Homes Where Both Parents Work ......... 5 Juvenile Delinquency ................. 6 Foster Homes and Adoption............... 6 Child Care Institutions ............. ......... 7 Socio-Economic Implications ........................... B Personality of Children from Broken Homes ............. 8 Irritability and Frustration ................. 9 H a b i t s .............................................. 10 School Work ............. ......... 11 Statement of the Problem ........................... 11 Importance of the Problem .............................. U Definitions of Terms U s e d ................... 12 Broken H o m e s ........................................ 12 Normal H o m e s ........................................ 12 Elementary Scho o l ............. 12 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................ 13 Summary of the Literature.............................. 2$ III. THE î-aiTHOD OF OBTAINING D A T A ............................. 26 —ii— Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER PAGE IV. THE INDIVIDUAL C A S E S .................................... 30 Case I ................................................ 31 Case I I ................................................ 33 Case i n .............................................. 35 Case I V ................................................ 37 Case V ................................................ 40 Case V I ................................................ 43 Case V I I .............................................. 45 Case V I I I .............................................. 47 Case I X ................................................ 49 Case X ................................................ 50 Case X I ................................................ 53 Case X I I ..................................... 55 Case X I I I .............................................. 57 Case X I V .............................................. 58 Case X V ................................................ 59 Case X V I .............................................. 62 Case X V I I ..................................... 64 Case X V I I I ............................................ 66 Case X I X .............................................. 67 Case X X ................................................ 69 Case X X I .............................................. 71 Case X X I I .............................................. 73 Case X X I I I ............................................ 75 Case X X I V ....................................... 77 Case X X V .............................................. 79 -iii- Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER PAGE Case X X V I .............................................. 82 Case X X V I I ............................................ 84 Case X X V I I I ............................................ 86 Case X X I X .............................................. 8? V. COMPARISON STUDIES ...................................... 90 Common Trends ................. 90 Graphic Presentations of Certain Data ......... ..... 92 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.....................................101 Summary of the M e t h o d .....................................101 Summary of the Findings ...................... 102 Conclusion and Recommendations........................... 105 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................... 10? -IV- Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Distribution of Subjects from Broken Homes by Sex, Grade, and Age at the Close of This Study, May 1953 ...... 93 II. Distribution of Subjects by Type of Broken Home ..... 94 III. Distribution of Subjects by Family Relationships ..... 95 IV. Distribution of Subjects ty Socio-Economic Status and Home O w n e r s h i p .......................................... 96 V. Distribution of Subjects by Churches and Sunday School Membership and Attendance .... .......... ..... 96 VI. Number and Percentage of Grade Failures in School of Sub jects from Broken H o m e s ............................. 97 VII. Number of Children from Broken Homes Iflfho Had Special Out- of-School Responsibilities........................... 98 VIII. Distribution of Subjects on the Basis of Physical, Mental and Emotional Factors ............................... 99 IX. Distribution of Subjects by Certain Effects Seemingly Re sults of the Broken Home ....................... 100 -V- Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AMD DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS USED For many years the home and family seem to have been steadily declining in influence and importance. The parents, as well as the children» now have many outside-the-home interests; they earn their liv ing awsQT from home; often t h ^ spend their leisure time away from home. Some homes have become little more than places to eat and sleep. When this country was first founded, the home was an almost self-sufficient economic, social, recreational and spiritual unit. Due to national growth, the building of large cities, extensive trade, industrialization, diver sified labor and more complex government the family unit has gradually become less influential. Most communities are highly organized with clubs and other organizations performing many of the old family duties. Ac companying this decrease in importance, many homes tend to break up and crumble through separation, desertion, and of course, through the ever present factors of mental and physical sickness, and death, I. THE BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM It is evident to everyone and especially evident to school teach ers and school administrators that certain social factors have a pro found effect on school children. 1 As educators try to meet the needs of all children, the social factors of unsettled home, adopted children» and a host of other factors such as social status, mobility of the family due to parent's occupation, type of neighbors and neighborhoods. iHerbert B. Alexander, "A Child is as Good as His Neighbor," Parent's Magazine. 25:26, April, 1950. - 1- Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. companions, economic income, religion, and others have unmistakable influence upon the teaching and learning process in school life. There seems to be a consensus among teachers that adverse home conditions are related to adverse school conditions. Both parents are needed to encourage school children in the right directions and con versely to discourage them from wrong doing. Teachers say that chil dren from broken homes get less sympathy and less of the right kind of encouragement and help with regard to school. This chapter will consider the following aspects of the prob lem in this order: home, mobility of population, war time children,