ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses how children and adolescents’ social context, in relation to the marital norms, impacts on their health and wellbeing. It suggests that children are affected by neighbourhood social norms in relation to family structures. The chapter seeks to increase understanding that the geographical social context is important in determining the health and wellbeing of children. It argues that to analyse the impact of family structure on child wellbeing, there is a need to focus on the geographical context, taking into consideration the local economic, social and cultural norms. The chapter explores the experiences of children living in different family structures may be experienced differently in diverse neighbourhood environments. It shows that there are differences between the children’s attitudes towards their parents’ marital status according to their residential neighbourhood environments. The health and wellbeing of children and adolescents is influenced by neighbourhood norms, procedures and rules.
