Lone motherhood in twentieth-century Britain : from footnote to front page / Kathleen Kiernan, Hilary Land, Jane Lewis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kiernan, Kathleen, author.

Land, Hilary, author.

Lewis, Jane (Jane E.), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Unmarried mothers--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Unmarried mothers.

Single mothers--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Single mothers.

Women heads of households--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Women heads of households.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 335 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Clarendon Press, 2004.

Summary:

During the 1990s lone mothers reached the top of the political agenda, viewed as both a drain on public expenditure and a moral threat. What has been missing from the debate is an understanding of how we have got to where we are. This timely new study, by three leading experts in the field, sets out first to investigate the demographics of lone motherhood - how the pathways into lone motherhood have changed, and whether the changes of the last quarter of a century are as dramatic as they appear. Second, it looks at the wider context for the changes in lone motherhood in terms of ideas about marriage, and the changes in the construction of the never-married mother, from victim in the 1950s to parasite in the late 1980s. Finally, it examines the way in which policies have defined the problem of lone motherhood over time and the way in which lone mothers have been treated with regard to housing, social security, and employment. The study concludes that there is little possiblility of putting the genie back in the bottle in terms of reducing the number of lone mothers - efforts to do so by reducing public expenditure on them may be effective, but at the expense of the children involved. Instead, the authors urge policy-makers to change focus again, and pay more attention to investing in children.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title Page

Title Page

Copyright

PREFACE

CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF TABLES

ABBREVIATIONS

Chapter 1: Introduction

Understanding Continuity and Change

Explaining Family Change

Understanding Policy Shifts

European Comparisons

Chapter 2: The Changing Demography of Lone Motherhood

Introduction

Routes to Lone Motherhood

Defining Lone Motherhood

Never-Married Lone Motherhood-Trends

Measures

Pre-1950s

The 1950s and Later

Age and Marital Status

Pathways to Never-Married Lone Motherhood

Sexual Behaviour

Contraception

Abortion

Bridal pregnancies

Pregnancy outcomes

Adoption

Changing Marriage Patterns and the Rise of Cohabitation

Summary

Post-Marital Lone Motherhood

The Decline of Widowhood

The Rise of Divorce

Children and Divorce

Children and Lone Motherhood

Pathways Out of Lone Motherhood

Remarriage

Re-partnering

Trends in Other European Countries

Extramarital Childbearing

Divorce in Europe

Lone Parent Families

Chapter 3: The Debate about the Law Affecting Marriage and Divorce In Twentieth-Century Britain

In Search of a Higher Morality: 1880s-1920s

The Promotion of Radical Sex Reform: the 1920s and 1930s

Conservative Reaction: 1940s-1960s

Radical Reform Revisited: the 1960s

From the Regulation of Marriage to the Regulation of Parenting: 1970s-1990s

Conclusion

Chapter 4: Constructions of Unmarried Motherhood in the Post-War Period

Abnormal and Victims: The Construction of the 195Os and Early 1960s

Normal but Unfortunate: Constructions of the Late 1960s and 1970s

Normal and Exercising Choice: Constructions of the 1980s and 1990s

Chapter 5: Lone Motherhood: Characteristics, Circumstances, and Consequences

Introduction.

Characteristics of Lone Mother Families: 1970s-1990s

Demographic Characteristics

Employment Trends

Housing Tenure

Living Arrangements

Educational Qualifications

Economic Circumstances of Lone Mother Families

Income

Child Maintenance Payments

State Support

International Comparisons

Who Become Lone Mothers?

Consequences of Family Breakdown

Chapter 6: Social Security and Lone Mothers

The 1950s

The 1960s

The 1970s

The 1980s

The 1990s

Chapter 7: Housing and Lone Mothers

The 1950s and 1960s

Chapter 8: Lone Mothers, Employment, and Childcare

Chapter 9: Conclusion

Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle I: Reducing Public Expenditure

Putting the Genie Back in the Bottle II: Reducing the Numbers of Lone Mothers

Defining the Problem as One of Mothers and Fathers

The Need to Focus on Children and Supporting Parents

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [296]-324) and index.

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-19-103949-7

0-19-103758-3

OCLC:

958578512