RELATIONSHIPS

An investigation into the effects of single-parent upbringing

Candidate Name:

Candidate Number:

School: St. Mary Technical High School

Center Number: 100099

Year of Examination: 2022

Teacher’s Name: Miss S. Bennett

Subject: Communication Studies

Theme: Relationships

Territory: Jamaica
 Table of Contents
Content Page

Introduction …………………………………………………… 2-3

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 Introduction
This research focuses on the theme “Relationship”. The researcher decided to explore

the topic the “effects of single-parenting child upbringing on school children in Jamaica”.

[Link] defines single parenting as a family in which a parent brings up a child or

children alone, without a partner. This research will be conducted in a rural community

Richmond in the Parish of St. Mary

The exposition highlights the possible solutions and effects of single-parent child

upbringings. The researcher’s secondary artefact takes the form of a research article while the

primary method of data collection will be in the form of a questionnaire. The data will be

used in the exposition to treat the theme of this portfolio.

The reflective piece will take the form of a short story entitled “Struggles”. It

illustrates a 5th form boy Tyrone Jackson who is determined to make his mother proud

knowing how hard she has to work to provide for their family. The researcher will use the

formal register, casual register, standard English and creole to achieve her purpose. Dialect

variation and language registers will be analysed in the analysis.

The researcher is currently studying Communication at the CAPE level. Therefore,

this research will assist her academically since she will be able to relate, interact and

communicate with my classmates and teachers effectively about the issue.

The theme relationship peaked her interest because it ties in with the career the

researcher would like to pursue which is a social worker. A social worker is a person who

provides advice, support and resources to families to help solve their problems. Therefore,

this research will help me in the future.

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 Seeing that most children in the researcher’s community are raised in a single parent

family, as well as herself, this theme personally interests the researcher.

Teacher’s comments
GENERAL INTRODUCTION 12/12
Theme and Purpose 2/2
Treatment 4/4
Relationship to academic interests 2/2
Relationship to work-related interests 2/2
Relationship to personal interests 2/2

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 Preface
Single parent families have become the new norm in our society. Many children in

Jamaica have been raised in a single parent family. The researcher’s reflection will take the

form of a short story entitled “Struggles.” It illustrates a fifth form student who is determined

to turn out to something good in life knowing the struggles his mother faces to provide for

them. The purpose of the reflective piece is to entertain while informing the audience about

the challenges school children who are raised in a single parent family experience.

A story was chosen to bring across the researcher’s purpose because it is easier to

capture “the effects of single-parenting child upbringing on school children in Jamaica”. This

genre was also chosen because I believe that it is the most entertaining medium to bring out

the topic.

The story targets teenagers from a single parent family to show them that they are not

doomed to failure because of their humble beginnings but instead use it as a motivation to go

above and beyond academically. This research will be presented on social media platforms

such as but not limited to Instagram, Facebook and scholarly. These mediums would allow

greater access for the target audience.

Teacher’s comments: 4/4

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 Struggles

As Tyrone sat on the veranda of the two-bedroom board house that he shares with his

mother and two younger sisters, he couldn’t help but wonder what life would have been like

if only his father had bothered to stick around. His mother worked extremely hard to make

two ends meet. The salary she received as a bartender in the community they lived in was

hardly enough to cover their basic needs. This therefore saw her having a little farm where

she would sell her produce to the members of the community as well as other farmers. She

also washed for some people in the community on a fortnightly basis just to ensure that they

never went to their bed hungry at night nor having to miss a day of school. Tyrone was

extremely grateful for how hard his mother was working and therefore made it his priority to

ensure he was working even harder at school.

Tyrone Jackson, a 5th form student at the Mount Vernon Academy, was the first child

for his mother Tanesha Saunders. He has never met his father who had disappeared the

minute he found out he was on the way but that didn’t affect him as he knew how to satisfy

with what little his mother was able to provide for them. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but

wonder the extent to which life would have been easier especially for his mom if she didn’t

have to work herself tirelessly just to ensure they had the most essential needs to survive.

However, they were the only family in the community that still uses a pit latrine, bathes

outside as well as washing dishes outside and for these reasons he vowed to continue working

hard at school so he’d one day be able to change these circumstances for his mother and

sisters.

As the place grew dark, he got up off the veranda and went into the room that he shared

with his two sisters. He sat on his bed and started to read over some notes in preparation for a

monthly test he had the following day. He didn’t even realize how late it was until his mother

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came in the room to check on them as she always does when she comes home at night. “Wah

yaa study fa now Ty-Ty?” she asked him. “Mi have a Physics tomorrow,” he replied. For the

first time ever, she told him she wouldn’t be able to send him to school because she didn’t

have any money. Without missing a beat Tyrone told her he would go without the lunch

money. Bus fare is all he would need because he couldn’t afford to miss any test now. She

wouldn’t want to disappoint him as he took his school work very seriously so she decided to

borrow the money from the bar sales so he could go to school the following day.

The following morning, Tyrone made sure to eat something no matter how small it was

before going to school because he didn’t know how he was going to manage; he found a

ramen noodle which he boiled for his breakfast and got ready for school. He collected his bus

fare and left for school. He was very early for school, so he sat in his form room and went

over his notes some more so he would be fully prepared for his test. Physics was the first

class he had that morning and the teacher gave the test in the first half of the class after which

they all went through the paper together and he was sure he aced the test. He went to the

remainder of his classes until it was finally lunch time where he went to the library to read

something because he had nothing to eat. Couple minutes before the lunch bell rang, he

started to feel hungry and he didn’t know what to do so he went to the back of the school yard

where an apple tree was and luckily the tree was loaded, he started stoning some of the apples

and got a few which he washed and ate quickly then drank some water from the stand pipe

before heading back to class. By the time the dismissal bell had rang he was dying of hunger

so he hurriedly went home because he knew his mother always prepared their dinner before

going to work in the mornings.

He went to the bar to collect his sisters after which he went home, warmed the dinner

and shared it for him and his sisters. He helped them with their homework and they all went

to bed early. He silently wished he didn’t have to endure that kind of hunger another day

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though. Unfortunately, he did have a couple more of those days but he pulled himself through

because he had his goal in mind and he wasn’t about to give up now.

At the end of Tyrone’s tenure at Mount Vernon Academy he was awarded top boy in

the school, highest achiever, highest performer in various subject areas as well as top CSEC

student. It didn’t stop there as he was awarded top CSEC student in the Caribbean, as a result

of this he received various funding and scholarships to pursue his tertiary education.

As he collected his awards, he looked at his beaming mother and said “I did this for

you”, her heart swelled with pride as she ran up to him, scooped him up and hugged him like

she has never hugged him before and said “mi proud a yuh mi bwoy, yuh mek mi really

proud”.

Teacher’s comments: 9/10

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 Analysis
The researcher has chosen to analyse the dialect variety and the language register that

was used the reflective piece entitled “Struggles”

Dialect variation can be defined as the spoken and written difference in the use of

language within a speech community. Creole and the standard variety (English) was used

throughout the candidate’s reflective piece. Dialect can be influenced by several factors such

as mother tongue, geographical location and attitude. In the story, you can see where creole

(basolect) was used whenever Tyrone and his mother conversed. An example of this can be

seen in the seventh paragraph in the last sentence “mi proud a yuh mi bwoy, yuh mek mi

really proud”. Creole was used by the characters to show that they are from the Caribbean.

Also, it highlighted their relationship and social status.

The narrator uses standard English throughout the story. As can be seen in the first

sentence, “As Tyrone sat on the veranda of the two-bedroom board house that he shares with

his mother and two younger sisters, he couldn’t help but wonder what life would have been

like if only his father had bothered to stick around”. This variety was used because it is

known as the acceptable variety and will therefore be easy for people outside the Caribbean

to read.

Language register is defined as the type of dialect that a person decides to use with a

particular person. The formal and informal register was used in this piece. The informal

register also called casual register is a conversational register used in writing and talking to

people you know very well. The informal register was used between Tyrone and Tanesha this

was effective because it shows the familiarity between both characters. An example of the

informal register is “Wah yaa study fa now Ty-Ty?” she asked him, “mi ave a physics

tomorrow”. The clear use of nicknames highlighted the relationship they shared.

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 The formal register was used when the narrator told the story. The formal register is

defined as a more appropriate register used for professional writing or speaking with a boss

or stranger. The formal register was effective because it is able to reach a wider audience .

In conclusion, language register and dialectal variation was used in the story to achieve

the writer’s purpose. Examples of dialect variation such as standard English and creole were

used and examples of language variation that was used include the formal register and

informal register.

Teacher’s comments:
ANALYSIS 17/18
Content 8/8
Expression 4/5
Organisation 5/5

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APPENDIX
Interview Questions

[Link] old are you?

2 Are you from a single parent-family?

[Link] you have any siblings?

[Link] is it like for you growing up in a single parent family?

[Link] growing up in a single-parent family place you at any disadvantage?

If yes how?

[Link] does growing up in a single-parent family affect you academically?

[Link] is you biggest struggle as a child raised in a single parent family

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References

[Link]

Salami S.O. & Alawode E.A (2016). The influence of single-parenting on the academic
achievement of adolescents. Retrieved from scholarly
[Link]
nting&oq=effects+of+sin

Osborne S. et al (2015). Communication Studies Guide 2nd edition published by

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