Joanne Bailey
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199565191
- eISBN:
- 9780191740664
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565191.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Family History
This book is about the world of parenting and parenthood in the Georgian era. It navigates recent ‘turns’ towards emotions, subjectivity, memory, the body and materiality. This approach reveals the ...
More
This book is about the world of parenting and parenthood in the Georgian era. It navigates recent ‘turns’ towards emotions, subjectivity, memory, the body and materiality. This approach reveals the profound emotions provoked by motherhood and fatherhood and the labour and hard work it entailed. Such parental investment meant that the experience was fundamental to the forging of national, family and personal identities. Society called upon parents to transmit prized values across generations and this study explores how this was achieved. All in all, raising children needed more than two parents. At all levels of society, household and kinship ties were drawn upon to lighten the labours of parenting and this book reveals how crucial grandparents, aunts, uncles and servants were to raising children. It also discusses the ways in which parenting adapted across the life‐course, changed by the transitions of ageing, marriage and family, adversity and crisis, and death and memory.Less
This book is about the world of parenting and parenthood in the Georgian era. It navigates recent ‘turns’ towards emotions, subjectivity, memory, the body and materiality. This approach reveals the profound emotions provoked by motherhood and fatherhood and the labour and hard work it entailed. Such parental investment meant that the experience was fundamental to the forging of national, family and personal identities. Society called upon parents to transmit prized values across generations and this study explores how this was achieved. All in all, raising children needed more than two parents. At all levels of society, household and kinship ties were drawn upon to lighten the labours of parenting and this book reveals how crucial grandparents, aunts, uncles and servants were to raising children. It also discusses the ways in which parenting adapted across the life‐course, changed by the transitions of ageing, marriage and family, adversity and crisis, and death and memory.
Norvin Richards
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199731749
- eISBN:
- 9780199866311
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731749.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
It is argued that the strong claim biological parents have to raise their children isn't a property right but an instance of our general right to continue whatever we have begun. Implications are ...
More
It is argued that the strong claim biological parents have to raise their children isn't a property right but an instance of our general right to continue whatever we have begun. Implications are drawn for a wide range of cases in which there is a dispute over who should serve as parents to a child. Arguments are offered against saying that our only proper concern in such cases is the best interest of the child. A way is offered of also identifying what claims the various adults have in the matter and deciding how those are properly balanced with the child's own claims. The book also contends that children have a claim of their own to have their autonomy respected. Conclusions are drawn about paternalism toward one's children, about reacting differently to bad behavior when the wrongdoer is “only a child,” and about the way in which children should participate in their raising. A final set of chapters concern parents and their grown children. One conclusion is that parents do not have an obligation to love their grown children come what may. Another is that the filial obligations grown children have are best understood not as debts of gratitude but as obligations to give your parents a place in your affections that is roughly equivalent to the one they gave you while you were under their care. The closing chapter offers an alternative to John Hardwig's view about an obligation to die rather than cost your loved ones too dearly.Less
It is argued that the strong claim biological parents have to raise their children isn't a property right but an instance of our general right to continue whatever we have begun. Implications are drawn for a wide range of cases in which there is a dispute over who should serve as parents to a child. Arguments are offered against saying that our only proper concern in such cases is the best interest of the child. A way is offered of also identifying what claims the various adults have in the matter and deciding how those are properly balanced with the child's own claims. The book also contends that children have a claim of their own to have their autonomy respected. Conclusions are drawn about paternalism toward one's children, about reacting differently to bad behavior when the wrongdoer is “only a child,” and about the way in which children should participate in their raising. A final set of chapters concern parents and their grown children. One conclusion is that parents do not have an obligation to love their grown children come what may. Another is that the filial obligations grown children have are best understood not as debts of gratitude but as obligations to give your parents a place in your affections that is roughly equivalent to the one they gave you while you were under their care. The closing chapter offers an alternative to John Hardwig's view about an obligation to die rather than cost your loved ones too dearly.
David Archard and David Benatar (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199590704
- eISBN:
- 9780191595547
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199590704.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
The book offers new and original chapters on the ethics of procreation and parenthood. The introduction provides an overview of the current debates in this area. In his chapter, Tim Bayne evaluates ...
More
The book offers new and original chapters on the ethics of procreation and parenthood. The introduction provides an overview of the current debates in this area. In his chapter, Tim Bayne evaluates current thinking about the ethics of bringing people into existence. David Benatar argues that the right of reproductive freedom, although important, must be limited. Michael Parker responds to the argument for ‘procreative beneficence’—the view that procreators are duty‐bound to produce children with the best possible quality of life. He argues that we need only aim at producing children that have ‘a reasonable chance of a good life’. Colin Macleod considers the extent to which the existence of parental prerogatives conflicts with the demands of justice. David Archard argues that the causal theory of parenthood is consistent with the view that those who did not cause the child to exist may still take on the responsibilities of acting as parents. Elizabeth Brake defends a version of the intentional account of parental duties, arguing that these duties can only arise from voluntary acceptance of the socially constituted parental role.Less
The book offers new and original chapters on the ethics of procreation and parenthood. The introduction provides an overview of the current debates in this area. In his chapter, Tim Bayne evaluates current thinking about the ethics of bringing people into existence. David Benatar argues that the right of reproductive freedom, although important, must be limited. Michael Parker responds to the argument for ‘procreative beneficence’—the view that procreators are duty‐bound to produce children with the best possible quality of life. He argues that we need only aim at producing children that have ‘a reasonable chance of a good life’. Colin Macleod considers the extent to which the existence of parental prerogatives conflicts with the demands of justice. David Archard argues that the causal theory of parenthood is consistent with the view that those who did not cause the child to exist may still take on the responsibilities of acting as parents. Elizabeth Brake defends a version of the intentional account of parental duties, arguing that these duties can only arise from voluntary acceptance of the socially constituted parental role.
John Eekelaar
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199535422
- eISBN:
- 9780191707384
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199535422.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Family Law
The book sees the governance of personal relationships as the exercise of power, from the traditional assumptions of patriarchy and the control one generation seeks to exercise over its successor, to ...
More
The book sees the governance of personal relationships as the exercise of power, from the traditional assumptions of patriarchy and the control one generation seeks to exercise over its successor, to the ideology of welfarism, where state institutions protect the interests of the vulnerable in accordance with its own perceptions of their interests. It argues that perceptions of rights are a significant counterpoise to such exercises of power. Against that background, it explores the interrelationship between the regulation by law of people's personal lives and the values of friendship, truth, respect, responsibility and community. A variety of controversial issues are examined in the light of those values including the legal regulation of gay and unmarried heterosexual relationships, freedom of procreation, state supervision over the exercise of parenthood, the role of fault in divorce law, the way parenthood is allocated, the rights and responsibilities of parents to control their children, the place of religion in the family, the rights of separated partners regarding property and financial support, and of separated parents regarding their children. The book offers a new picture of intimacy at the centre of personal relationships and sets out the elements for a conceptual framework according to which regulation of people's personal lives can be justified in an open society.Less
The book sees the governance of personal relationships as the exercise of power, from the traditional assumptions of patriarchy and the control one generation seeks to exercise over its successor, to the ideology of welfarism, where state institutions protect the interests of the vulnerable in accordance with its own perceptions of their interests. It argues that perceptions of rights are a significant counterpoise to such exercises of power. Against that background, it explores the interrelationship between the regulation by law of people's personal lives and the values of friendship, truth, respect, responsibility and community. A variety of controversial issues are examined in the light of those values including the legal regulation of gay and unmarried heterosexual relationships, freedom of procreation, state supervision over the exercise of parenthood, the role of fault in divorce law, the way parenthood is allocated, the rights and responsibilities of parents to control their children, the place of religion in the family, the rights of separated partners regarding property and financial support, and of separated parents regarding their children. The book offers a new picture of intimacy at the centre of personal relationships and sets out the elements for a conceptual framework according to which regulation of people's personal lives can be justified in an open society.
Joanna L. Grossman and Lawrence M. Friedman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149820
- eISBN:
- 9781400839773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149820.003.0014
- Subject:
- Law, Family Law
This chapter examines further challenges to the traditional family by exploring expanded definitions of legal parentage. It considers advances in reproductive technology, such as in-vitro ...
More
This chapter examines further challenges to the traditional family by exploring expanded definitions of legal parentage. It considers advances in reproductive technology, such as in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, to say nothing of the use of sperm donors, egg donors, and gestational surrogates. With so many options made available, biological parenthood is now open to infertile couples, single women, and same-sex couples. But these changes challenge the traditional rules of parentage. Family law has thus been forced to adapt to a world in which babies can be made without sex and with ties to multiple adults, whether married or not.Less
This chapter examines further challenges to the traditional family by exploring expanded definitions of legal parentage. It considers advances in reproductive technology, such as in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, to say nothing of the use of sperm donors, egg donors, and gestational surrogates. With so many options made available, biological parenthood is now open to infertile couples, single women, and same-sex couples. But these changes challenge the traditional rules of parentage. Family law has thus been forced to adapt to a world in which babies can be made without sex and with ties to multiple adults, whether married or not.
James E. Fleming and Linda C. McClain
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294962
- eISBN:
- 9780191598708
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294964.003.0020
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
To the extent Sandel hints at substance, his republican virtues suitable for multiple-situated selves sound suspiciously liberal or at least compatible with liberalism, raising the question whether ...
More
To the extent Sandel hints at substance, his republican virtues suitable for multiple-situated selves sound suspiciously liberal or at least compatible with liberalism, raising the question whether there is a significant distance between his pluralistic republicanism and the most attractive form of liberalism. If republicanism’s concern is simply that citizens engage in morally worthy social practices, then a regime that places no value on choice could simply assign citizens to engage in those practices; if Sandel objects that forcing persons into particular relationships and practices compromises the moral worth of those practices, he must implicitly assume that there is some value attached to the element of choice, autonomy, or personal self-government. Sandel does not comment on perhaps the most republican aspect of the joint opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey: the latitude that it gives to the state to shape women’s decision-making process in favor of childbirth over abortion to encourage “wise” or responsible decisions, in part because of the “consequences” of the abortion decision for the women, the community, and prenatal life. Toleration need not be grudging and fragile if its proponents persuasively make a moral argument for it and its possible tempering of the formative project: autonomy is a human good, as are diversity, equal citizenship, and toleration itself, and a commitment to protecting those goods should often (but not always) constrain government from coercively acting to make citizens lead good lives by compelling “moral” and prohibiting “immoral” choices. It remains an open question whether we should wish to revitalize the republican tradition and to search for a substantive republic, but even if we should, most of the work of developing a moral reading of the Constitution of the substantive republic remains to be done.Less
To the extent Sandel hints at substance, his republican virtues suitable for multiple-situated selves sound suspiciously liberal or at least compatible with liberalism, raising the question whether there is a significant distance between his pluralistic republicanism and the most attractive form of liberalism. If republicanism’s concern is simply that citizens engage in morally worthy social practices, then a regime that places no value on choice could simply assign citizens to engage in those practices; if Sandel objects that forcing persons into particular relationships and practices compromises the moral worth of those practices, he must implicitly assume that there is some value attached to the element of choice, autonomy, or personal self-government. Sandel does not comment on perhaps the most republican aspect of the joint opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey: the latitude that it gives to the state to shape women’s decision-making process in favor of childbirth over abortion to encourage “wise” or responsible decisions, in part because of the “consequences” of the abortion decision for the women, the community, and prenatal life. Toleration need not be grudging and fragile if its proponents persuasively make a moral argument for it and its possible tempering of the formative project: autonomy is a human good, as are diversity, equal citizenship, and toleration itself, and a commitment to protecting those goods should often (but not always) constrain government from coercively acting to make citizens lead good lives by compelling “moral” and prohibiting “immoral” choices. It remains an open question whether we should wish to revitalize the republican tradition and to search for a substantive republic, but even if we should, most of the work of developing a moral reading of the Constitution of the substantive republic remains to be done.
Joanna L. Grossman and Lawrence M. Friedman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149820
- eISBN:
- 9781400839773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149820.003.0013
- Subject:
- Law, Family Law
This chapter looks at the rights and obligations of those who have earned (or been saddled with) the legal status of “parent.” It examines state intervention in troubled families and challenges to ...
More
This chapter looks at the rights and obligations of those who have earned (or been saddled with) the legal status of “parent.” It examines state intervention in troubled families and challenges to parental authority by third parties (grandparents seeking visitation rights, for example). The chapter also looks at children's procedural and expressive rights against the state, and the rights against their parents related to financial independence, sex, marriage, and reproduction. It shows that American law has empowered children—at least to a degree—and has defined not only their rights, but also what society and their parents owe them, though enforcing these rights can be somewhat difficult regardless.Less
This chapter looks at the rights and obligations of those who have earned (or been saddled with) the legal status of “parent.” It examines state intervention in troubled families and challenges to parental authority by third parties (grandparents seeking visitation rights, for example). The chapter also looks at children's procedural and expressive rights against the state, and the rights against their parents related to financial independence, sex, marriage, and reproduction. It shows that American law has empowered children—at least to a degree—and has defined not only their rights, but also what society and their parents owe them, though enforcing these rights can be somewhat difficult regardless.
Patricia Crawford
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199204809
- eISBN:
- 9780191709517
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199204809.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of how material circumstances affected the way poor parents, single as well as married, brought up their children between 1580 and 1800. It also ...
More
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of how material circumstances affected the way poor parents, single as well as married, brought up their children between 1580 and 1800. It also covers issues as social structure, family size, poor laws and historiography, patriarchy and the English family. The book presents two main arguments: first, class and gender mattered. Poor mothers and fathers were different from parents of the gentry and aristocracy because their poverty placed them in a different material world. The second argument addresses the connection between fatherhood in a family and public fatherhood in the state. The Poor Laws which gave power to civic authorities over poor fathers and mothers perpetuated a particular form of domestic patriarchy, formulated in the later 16th century, that gave all adult men who headed households an investment in upholding paternal authority. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of how material circumstances affected the way poor parents, single as well as married, brought up their children between 1580 and 1800. It also covers issues as social structure, family size, poor laws and historiography, patriarchy and the English family. The book presents two main arguments: first, class and gender mattered. Poor mothers and fathers were different from parents of the gentry and aristocracy because their poverty placed them in a different material world. The second argument addresses the connection between fatherhood in a family and public fatherhood in the state. The Poor Laws which gave power to civic authorities over poor fathers and mothers perpetuated a particular form of domestic patriarchy, formulated in the later 16th century, that gave all adult men who headed households an investment in upholding paternal authority. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.
Patricia Crawford
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199204809
- eISBN:
- 9780191709517
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199204809.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This concluding chapter draws together some of the themes discussed in the preceding chapters, reflecting upon the experiences of mothers and fathers who were poor in contrast to those of higher ...
More
This concluding chapter draws together some of the themes discussed in the preceding chapters, reflecting upon the experiences of mothers and fathers who were poor in contrast to those of higher social status. Despite the bleak picture which poverty always presents, it argues that many poor parents derived social status and personal satisfaction from their struggles to do their best for their offspring.Less
This concluding chapter draws together some of the themes discussed in the preceding chapters, reflecting upon the experiences of mothers and fathers who were poor in contrast to those of higher social status. Despite the bleak picture which poverty always presents, it argues that many poor parents derived social status and personal satisfaction from their struggles to do their best for their offspring.
Rosanna Hertz
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195179903
- eISBN:
- 9780199944118
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179903.003.0012
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
The idea that families can be created by women changed the worlds of the women interviewed, allowing them to imagine families crafted in new ways as both legitimate and valuable. Women act on ...
More
The idea that families can be created by women changed the worlds of the women interviewed, allowing them to imagine families crafted in new ways as both legitimate and valuable. Women act on motherhood for the first time by chancing pregnancy, finding a known donor, ordering donor profiles, or putting in the paperwork to begin an adoption. In the case of Lori-Ann Stuart, she chose a close friend, Bob, to donate sperm rather than a sperm bank. She made it sure that she would be the parent, and Bob would have no claim and responsibility for it. However, the coupling of genetic parenthood and social parenthood complicates the relationship between children and paternal kin. Lori-Ann is an interesting case. While pregnant, she restructured her life. Though still living by herself in a small apartment, she wanted her baby to be surrounded by loving people from the beginning.Less
The idea that families can be created by women changed the worlds of the women interviewed, allowing them to imagine families crafted in new ways as both legitimate and valuable. Women act on motherhood for the first time by chancing pregnancy, finding a known donor, ordering donor profiles, or putting in the paperwork to begin an adoption. In the case of Lori-Ann Stuart, she chose a close friend, Bob, to donate sperm rather than a sperm bank. She made it sure that she would be the parent, and Bob would have no claim and responsibility for it. However, the coupling of genetic parenthood and social parenthood complicates the relationship between children and paternal kin. Lori-Ann is an interesting case. While pregnant, she restructured her life. Though still living by herself in a small apartment, she wanted her baby to be surrounded by loving people from the beginning.
Sarah E. Johns and Jay Belsky
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195320510
- eISBN:
- 9780199786800
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320510.003.0004
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
The birth of a child is a commonplace event, yet for the two individuals who become parents this transition to parenthood is a major life event. For men and women the challenges of parenthood will ...
More
The birth of a child is a commonplace event, yet for the two individuals who become parents this transition to parenthood is a major life event. For men and women the challenges of parenthood will differ, and their relationship will undergo change as the demands of their new roles become apparent. Parenthood has the potential to change both men's and women's feelings about themselves and their relationship. This chapter explores the transition to parenthood, in particular asking why this can be difficult, why the experience of having a child is different for men and women, how the timing of the transition can be influenced by family relationships, and how the ease of transition for one generation can influence the timing of the transition in subsequent generations. This includes both proximate psychological aspects of becoming a parent and evolutionary or ultimate explanations of human reproductive patterns and parenting behaviors.Less
The birth of a child is a commonplace event, yet for the two individuals who become parents this transition to parenthood is a major life event. For men and women the challenges of parenthood will differ, and their relationship will undergo change as the demands of their new roles become apparent. Parenthood has the potential to change both men's and women's feelings about themselves and their relationship. This chapter explores the transition to parenthood, in particular asking why this can be difficult, why the experience of having a child is different for men and women, how the timing of the transition can be influenced by family relationships, and how the ease of transition for one generation can influence the timing of the transition in subsequent generations. This includes both proximate psychological aspects of becoming a parent and evolutionary or ultimate explanations of human reproductive patterns and parenting behaviors.
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195309379
- eISBN:
- 9780199786688
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195309379.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
In the past few decades a quiet revolution has taken place for young people in American society, so quiet that it has been noticed only gradually and incompletely. There has been an increase in the ...
More
In the past few decades a quiet revolution has taken place for young people in American society, so quiet that it has been noticed only gradually and incompletely. There has been an increase in the ages of entering marriage and parenthood, a lengthening of time spent in higher education, and a period of prolonged job instability. This trend reflects the development of a new period of life for young people in the United States and other industrialized societies, lasting from the late teens through the mid- to late twenties. This period is much different from adolescence, freer from parental control; a period of independent exploration. It is a new and historically unprecedented period of the life course and it requires a new term and a new way of thinking: emerging adulthood. This chapter provides some historical background on the rise of emerging adulthood and describes the period's distinctive features. The reasons why the term emerging adulthood is preferable to other possible terms are explained.Less
In the past few decades a quiet revolution has taken place for young people in American society, so quiet that it has been noticed only gradually and incompletely. There has been an increase in the ages of entering marriage and parenthood, a lengthening of time spent in higher education, and a period of prolonged job instability. This trend reflects the development of a new period of life for young people in the United States and other industrialized societies, lasting from the late teens through the mid- to late twenties. This period is much different from adolescence, freer from parental control; a period of independent exploration. It is a new and historically unprecedented period of the life course and it requires a new term and a new way of thinking: emerging adulthood. This chapter provides some historical background on the rise of emerging adulthood and describes the period's distinctive features. The reasons why the term emerging adulthood is preferable to other possible terms are explained.
Rosanna Hertz
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195179903
- eISBN:
- 9780199944118
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179903.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
A remarkable number of women today are taking the daunting step of having children outside of marriage. This book offers a full-scale account of this fast-growing phenomenon, revealing why these ...
More
A remarkable number of women today are taking the daunting step of having children outside of marriage. This book offers a full-scale account of this fast-growing phenomenon, revealing why these middle class women are taking this unorthodox path and how they have managed to make single parenthood work for them. Sixty-five women were interviewed—ranging from physicians and financial analysts to social workers, teachers, and secretaries—who speak candidly about how they manage their lives and families as single mothers. What the research discovers are not ideologues but reluctant revolutionaries, women who—whether straight or gay—struggle to conform to the conventional definitions of mother, child, and family. Having tossed out the rulebook in order to become mothers, they nonetheless adhere to time-honored rules about child-rearing. As they tell their stories, they shed light on their paths to motherhood, describing how they summoned up the courage to pursue their dream, how they broke the news to parents, siblings, friends, and co-workers, how they went about buying sperm from fertility banks or adopting children of different races. They recount how their personal and social histories intersected to enable them to pursue their dream of motherhood, and how they navigate daily life. What does it mean to be “single” in terms of romance and parenting? How do women juggle earning a living with parenting? What creative ways have women devised to shore up these families? How do they incorporate men into their child-centered families? This book provides concrete, informative answers to all these questions.Less
A remarkable number of women today are taking the daunting step of having children outside of marriage. This book offers a full-scale account of this fast-growing phenomenon, revealing why these middle class women are taking this unorthodox path and how they have managed to make single parenthood work for them. Sixty-five women were interviewed—ranging from physicians and financial analysts to social workers, teachers, and secretaries—who speak candidly about how they manage their lives and families as single mothers. What the research discovers are not ideologues but reluctant revolutionaries, women who—whether straight or gay—struggle to conform to the conventional definitions of mother, child, and family. Having tossed out the rulebook in order to become mothers, they nonetheless adhere to time-honored rules about child-rearing. As they tell their stories, they shed light on their paths to motherhood, describing how they summoned up the courage to pursue their dream, how they broke the news to parents, siblings, friends, and co-workers, how they went about buying sperm from fertility banks or adopting children of different races. They recount how their personal and social histories intersected to enable them to pursue their dream of motherhood, and how they navigate daily life. What does it mean to be “single” in terms of romance and parenting? How do women juggle earning a living with parenting? What creative ways have women devised to shore up these families? How do they incorporate men into their child-centered families? This book provides concrete, informative answers to all these questions.
Joanne Bailey
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199565191
- eISBN:
- 9780191740664
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565191.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Family History
This chapter argues that notions of Georgian parenthood and the expectations held about parents’ roles did not originate in Evangelical revival, in the reconfiguration of the middle‐classes, or the ...
More
This chapter argues that notions of Georgian parenthood and the expectations held about parents’ roles did not originate in Evangelical revival, in the reconfiguration of the middle‐classes, or the hardening of separate spheres. They stemmed from contemporary social and cultural concerns. Parents were influenced by Christianity and sensibility, which encouraged more emotionally expressive styles of parenting. Concerns about population brought attention to the need for both mothers and fathers to be more hands‐on in the physical care of their offspring. Reconfigurations in the basis of political authority brought to the forefront ideals of companionate, negotiated parent‐child relationships. The rapid commercialisation of society created anxieties about moral and physical corruption, which encouraged parents to control both their children's diets and emotions. Thus it concludes that parenthood holds specific, historicised meanings at different times.Less
This chapter argues that notions of Georgian parenthood and the expectations held about parents’ roles did not originate in Evangelical revival, in the reconfiguration of the middle‐classes, or the hardening of separate spheres. They stemmed from contemporary social and cultural concerns. Parents were influenced by Christianity and sensibility, which encouraged more emotionally expressive styles of parenting. Concerns about population brought attention to the need for both mothers and fathers to be more hands‐on in the physical care of their offspring. Reconfigurations in the basis of political authority brought to the forefront ideals of companionate, negotiated parent‐child relationships. The rapid commercialisation of society created anxieties about moral and physical corruption, which encouraged parents to control both their children's diets and emotions. Thus it concludes that parenthood holds specific, historicised meanings at different times.
Rosanna Hertz
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195179903
- eISBN:
- 9780199944118
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179903.003.0027
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
The stories of the interviewed women illuminated much, much more than expected. One of the biggest surprises was how the women had “completed” their families. This chapter notes that it was in the ...
More
The stories of the interviewed women illuminated much, much more than expected. One of the biggest surprises was how the women had “completed” their families. This chapter notes that it was in the telling and retelling of their stories that each woman recasts her humanity. That is to say, their own rewriting of their master plan, especially their agenda to resequence children and marriage, shows the very inconsistencies and changes that bring them once again to life. Their children had transformed their lives as parenthood took center stage. Women adjusted their personal lives and streamlined their employment, and often were surprised to discover that having children energized them. This chapter discusses the dilution of the mother-child family; celebrating entanglement in woven families; exploding and shrinking careers; and empty nest or life after children.Less
The stories of the interviewed women illuminated much, much more than expected. One of the biggest surprises was how the women had “completed” their families. This chapter notes that it was in the telling and retelling of their stories that each woman recasts her humanity. That is to say, their own rewriting of their master plan, especially their agenda to resequence children and marriage, shows the very inconsistencies and changes that bring them once again to life. Their children had transformed their lives as parenthood took center stage. Women adjusted their personal lives and streamlined their employment, and often were surprised to discover that having children energized them. This chapter discusses the dilution of the mother-child family; celebrating entanglement in woven families; exploding and shrinking careers; and empty nest or life after children.
Mariko Lin Chang
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195367690
- eISBN:
- 9780199944101
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367690.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
Women may earn 78% of what men earn, but they own only 36% as much wealth. In discussing the financial standing of women in America, a focus on income is misleading because wealth is a much more ...
More
Women may earn 78% of what men earn, but they own only 36% as much wealth. In discussing the financial standing of women in America, a focus on income is misleading because wealth is a much more meaningful measure of economic well-being. This chapter argues that a women's wealth gap would persist even if the gender income gap were eliminated. There are two basic reasons for this persistence: men have greater access to the wealth escalator, which translates income into wealth at a faster rate, and women are more likely to shoulder the financial burden of single parenthood. While income is no doubt important to women's economic security, the discussion suggests that people need the attention to gender differences in wealth to understand fully how women might attain financial equality.Less
Women may earn 78% of what men earn, but they own only 36% as much wealth. In discussing the financial standing of women in America, a focus on income is misleading because wealth is a much more meaningful measure of economic well-being. This chapter argues that a women's wealth gap would persist even if the gender income gap were eliminated. There are two basic reasons for this persistence: men have greater access to the wealth escalator, which translates income into wealth at a faster rate, and women are more likely to shoulder the financial burden of single parenthood. While income is no doubt important to women's economic security, the discussion suggests that people need the attention to gender differences in wealth to understand fully how women might attain financial equality.
Mariko Lin Chang
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195367690
- eISBN:
- 9780199944101
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367690.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
This chapter investigates the effect that parenthood has on wealth for men and for women. Whether married or single, women who become mothers are placed in a “no-win” situation. For every year a ...
More
This chapter investigates the effect that parenthood has on wealth for men and for women. Whether married or single, women who become mothers are placed in a “no-win” situation. For every year a woman is a full-time caregiver, she must work five extra years to make up for the lost income and pension benefits. Even if she goes back to work full-time, she will face a motherhood wage penalty. This chapter also discusses a “motherhood wealth tax,” which is greatest for nonmarried mothers because they are likely to have custody of children and to have less disposable income to save or invest. As a consequence, the gender wealth gap would continue to exist even if men and women had equal incomes simply because women are more likely to have custody of children.Less
This chapter investigates the effect that parenthood has on wealth for men and for women. Whether married or single, women who become mothers are placed in a “no-win” situation. For every year a woman is a full-time caregiver, she must work five extra years to make up for the lost income and pension benefits. Even if she goes back to work full-time, she will face a motherhood wage penalty. This chapter also discusses a “motherhood wealth tax,” which is greatest for nonmarried mothers because they are likely to have custody of children and to have less disposable income to save or invest. As a consequence, the gender wealth gap would continue to exist even if men and women had equal incomes simply because women are more likely to have custody of children.
Joanne Bailey
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199565191
- eISBN:
- 9780191740664
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565191.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Family History
This chapter discusses the ways in which parenthood was central to a number of Georgian societal and national concerns, such as population, consumption, and poverty. Commentators invoked parenthood ...
More
This chapter discusses the ways in which parenthood was central to a number of Georgian societal and national concerns, such as population, consumption, and poverty. Commentators invoked parenthood as a means to ensure a strong, healthy nation and to produce a patriotic and stable society. Healthy parental bodies produced healthy children and morals were central to explanations for lack of health: worldly women and dissolute men produced unhealthy children or were sterile. Worldliness threatened morals, public spirit and masculinity, especially in times of national crisis. Fatherhood was a central metaphor for patriotism, political, and social stability. This was the case with representations of military men as fathers. The idealised rural labouring family also symbolised a stable social and gender order, and stimulated feeling and patriotism. Religion and charity were other key discourses by which parents were used to promote ideal social relationships, particularly those of nursing fathers and familial benevolence.Less
This chapter discusses the ways in which parenthood was central to a number of Georgian societal and national concerns, such as population, consumption, and poverty. Commentators invoked parenthood as a means to ensure a strong, healthy nation and to produce a patriotic and stable society. Healthy parental bodies produced healthy children and morals were central to explanations for lack of health: worldly women and dissolute men produced unhealthy children or were sterile. Worldliness threatened morals, public spirit and masculinity, especially in times of national crisis. Fatherhood was a central metaphor for patriotism, political, and social stability. This was the case with representations of military men as fathers. The idealised rural labouring family also symbolised a stable social and gender order, and stimulated feeling and patriotism. Religion and charity were other key discourses by which parents were used to promote ideal social relationships, particularly those of nursing fathers and familial benevolence.
Joanne Bailey
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199565191
- eISBN:
- 9780191740664
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565191.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Family History
This chapter reveals that the experience of parenting influenced personal identities. The way that people discussed them was shaped by available cultural languages, specific events and circumstances ...
More
This chapter reveals that the experience of parenting influenced personal identities. The way that people discussed them was shaped by available cultural languages, specific events and circumstances and life‐cycle. The components of parenthood that featured regularly in the formation of parental identity were provision, tenderness, instruction, anxiety, distress, grief and self‐sacrifice. People also saw their parental role as contributing to their subjectivity and therefore a child's death undermined, overwhelmed, or destroyed some parents’ sense of selves. Diversity and complexity marked parental identity, which did not map onto simplistic pictures of gender constructions. The parental ‘self’ also varied across the life‐course because it was forged in response to particular events, emotions, and moments of crisis and thus could alter according to the age of parent, age of child, or a different relationship with each child. Tensions emerged in parents’ identities as people attempted to reconcile their parental experiences with ideals.Less
This chapter reveals that the experience of parenting influenced personal identities. The way that people discussed them was shaped by available cultural languages, specific events and circumstances and life‐cycle. The components of parenthood that featured regularly in the formation of parental identity were provision, tenderness, instruction, anxiety, distress, grief and self‐sacrifice. People also saw their parental role as contributing to their subjectivity and therefore a child's death undermined, overwhelmed, or destroyed some parents’ sense of selves. Diversity and complexity marked parental identity, which did not map onto simplistic pictures of gender constructions. The parental ‘self’ also varied across the life‐course because it was forged in response to particular events, emotions, and moments of crisis and thus could alter according to the age of parent, age of child, or a different relationship with each child. Tensions emerged in parents’ identities as people attempted to reconcile their parental experiences with ideals.
Siân Reynolds
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199560424
- eISBN:
- 9780191741814
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199560424.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History, Cultural History
The Rolands’ only child, Eudora, is born in Amiens in 1781. Mme Roland's devotion to breast-feeding is well attested, but this chapter goes in detail into Eudora's upbringing, in which both parents ...
More
The Rolands’ only child, Eudora, is born in Amiens in 1781. Mme Roland's devotion to breast-feeding is well attested, but this chapter goes in detail into Eudora's upbringing, in which both parents are deeply concerned. During his wife's long visit to Paris in 1784 Jean-Marie cares for the child as his many unpublished letters relate. The couple try to handle childcare and their daughter's education while both are busy in writing and research, a dilemma faced by academic couples in later ages.Less
The Rolands’ only child, Eudora, is born in Amiens in 1781. Mme Roland's devotion to breast-feeding is well attested, but this chapter goes in detail into Eudora's upbringing, in which both parents are deeply concerned. During his wife's long visit to Paris in 1784 Jean-Marie cares for the child as his many unpublished letters relate. The couple try to handle childcare and their daughter's education while both are busy in writing and research, a dilemma faced by academic couples in later ages.
