本文的宗旨爲建立一個台灣單親家庭的分析架構，並由此而設定硏究假設以供驗證。本文的研究資料主要是根據著者以往從事之研究，並參考國外相關的著作。其主要出發點是界定單親家庭的一些基本特徵，如單親因其角色負擔過重，故未能兼顧工作丶家務丶子女敎養等責任。這些基本特徵可謂構成一個分析架構，若配以其他變項 ( 如性別、年齡丶敎育、職業等等 ) 則可引申出一些研究假設以供驗證。最後，本文提供幾點意見以資增進單親家庭的福利。

''... we find that the single most important factor accounting for changes in family well-being was a fundamental change in family structure: divorce, death, marriage, birth, or a child leaving home. In other words, changes in the economic status of families are linked inextricably to changes in the composition of families themselves... Individuals may have more control over their economic status through decisions about marriage, divorce, procreation, or sharing households with relatives or friends, than they do about seeking more work or better-paying jobs."