Growing Up in Single-Parent Households in India: Identity Exploration Among Young Adults
The long-standing Indian traditions often invite societal disapproval to the fast-growing population of single-parent families, presenting young adults from such families with identity-specific challenges. Existing literature mostly focuses on the struggles faced by single parents, and the perspectives of their children remain underexplored, particularly in the Indian context, where single parenting is stigmatized. This is particularly evident when trying to comprehend the identity development of young adults from single-parent families. This research utilizes a phenomenological design with qualitative methodology involving semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with a purposive sample of young adults between 18 and 25 years old from single-parent families. Thematic analysis unveils complex processes of identity negotiation driven by societal attitudes, early responsibilities, emotional compartmentalization, resilience formation, and seeking validation through a range of coping strategies. With several adversities, young adults who grow up in single-parent families in India adapt specific strengths, realistic values, and resilience. By revealing these experienced realities, this research enriches the sophisticated insight into identity construction in single-parent families in the Indian socio-cultural context.