Which sociologist is associated with the idea of a 'culture of dependency' contributing to rising single-parent households?

• A. Max Weber
• B. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• C. Jane Addams
• D. William Julius Wilson

Answer: (D)

Understanding how structural factors shape family life helps explain why single-parent households rise in certain urban areas. William Julius Wilson argues that changes in the urban economy—like deindustrialization, job loss, and the concentration of poverty in inner-city neighborhoods—create environments where stable two-parent families struggle to stay intact. When work opportunities are scarce and neighborhoods deteriorate, family dynamics adapt in ways that can lead to more single-parent households. The notion of a culture of dependency in this context reflects how these structural conditions and policy contexts influence behavior and outcomes, rather than attributing them to individual choices alone. Wilson’s emphasis on economic and neighborhood structure as the driving force behind family instability aligns with this idea more than theories that focus primarily on individual culture or purely moral arguments.