Negative Effects of Joint Custody Methodology Essay Example for Free

Negative Effects of Joint Custody Methodology Essay Hypothesis Joint custody may affect girls more than boys. Is there a difference between the two? Methodology The reason for this methodology research is exploratory. Fifty percent or more married couples in the United States will get a divorce. It is not only divorce that affects custody because there are many reasons that two parents of a child do not live with each other. Since the women’s movement of the 1960’s and 70’s, fathers have taken a much more active role in child rearing. Most women have entered the workplace and need more help with their children, and that has made men much closer to their children. Therefore they want more custody rights. So, joint custody has increased greatly in the last several decades. Since this is such an issue in today’s society the data collected will help parents explore the negatives affects of joint custody and which sex is affected most so that they can make a more informed choice when it comes to the custody agreement they agree on for them and their families. The methodology that will be used will give a survey that will question ten girls and ten boys between the ages of eleven and thirteen. Their will be two African Americans, two Hispanics, one Asian, and five Caucasians of each sex. One of each sex surveyed will come from a high socioeconomic class, four will be from lower socioeconomic class, and five will come from upper middle and middle socioeconomic class. During a two week time period, the children of joint custody families will spend time getting to know and feel comfortable with the interviewer. This will be accomplished by group sessions where the children will play video games, having refreshments, listening to music, playing get-to-know-you games, and watching movies. Then the children will be interviewed with the survey questions separately. Survey Questions Answer the questions using a scale of 1-5 with one being the worst and five the best 1. How does spending equal time with each parent? 2. When you spend time at your father’s house, do you have fun? 3. When you spend time at your mother’s house, do you have fun? 4. My father has rules and high expectations of me. 5. My mother has rules and high expectations of me. 6. My father expects me to treat him with respect. 7. My mother expects me to treat her with respect. 8. School activities are important to my father. 9. School activities are important to my mother. 10. Extra-curricular activities are important to my father. 11. Extra-curricular activities are important to my mother. 12. My homework is a priority is important to my father. 13. My homework is a priority to my mother. 14. My grades are important to my father. 15. My grades are important to my mother. 16. My father screens my friends and associates. 17. My mother screens my friends and associates. 18. My father spends quality time with me. 19. My mother spends quality time with me. 20. I am happy with the situation in which I live. Variables The data that will be gathered from the independent variables (the questions) will be analyzed by the dependent variables. (the answers) The findings will be entered into a scale which will be placed on a graph. From the results displayed on the graph it can be determined which is affected most by the negative effects of the joint custody girls or boys. There is a possibility that they will be effected the same. This data could be extremely helpful when it comes time for parents to choose which type custody is best for each of their children.