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/9780199204809.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This chapter examines how women reacted to pregnancies and births outside marriage, and what happened to them and their children. It first discusses the legislative context in which women bore their ...
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This chapter examines how women reacted to pregnancies and births outside marriage, and what happened to them and their children. It first discusses the legislative context in which women bore their illegitimate children, then their pregnancies, childbirths, and initial responses to their infants. Secondly, it examines how single mothers managed to both work and bring up their children, and what support they could draw on. The parish was important, but not all poor single mothers were assisted by parish welfare. Finally, the chapter assesses evidence about single mothers and older children to suggest how these families of mothers and children survived and to discuss whether this can be read as evidence of care and affection.Less
This chapter examines how women reacted to pregnancies and births outside marriage, and what happened to them and their children. It first discusses the legislative context in which women bore their illegitimate children, then their pregnancies, childbirths, and initial responses to their infants. Secondly, it examines how single mothers managed to both work and bring up their children, and what support they could draw on. The parish was important, but not all poor single mothers were assisted by parish welfare. Finally, the chapter assesses evidence about single mothers and older children to suggest how these families of mothers and children survived and to discuss whether this can be read as evidence of care and affection.
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/9780195179903.003.0026
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
Middle-class single mothers are here to stay, this chapter states. However, the future is less about women who chanced pregnancy or chose adoption and more about donor-assisted families. These women ...
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Middle-class single mothers are here to stay, this chapter states. However, the future is less about women who chanced pregnancy or chose adoption and more about donor-assisted families. These women are challenging norms of both family and reproduction. Women who choose single motherhood are most often at odds with their biological clocks, bumping up against the constraints of their fertility. More likely, women will turn to science in order to give birth to their own children rather than pursuing other routes to motherhood that involve large adoption fees and having to prove to social workers that they are qualified to be mothers. However, women still prefer to parent with one other parent, and the wish among heterosexual women for a dad for their children remains strong.Less
Middle-class single mothers are here to stay, this chapter states. However, the future is less about women who chanced pregnancy or chose adoption and more about donor-assisted families. These women are challenging norms of both family and reproduction. Women who choose single motherhood are most often at odds with their biological clocks, bumping up against the constraints of their fertility. More likely, women will turn to science in order to give birth to their own children rather than pursuing other routes to motherhood that involve large adoption fees and having to prove to social workers that they are qualified to be mothers. However, women still prefer to parent with one other parent, and the wish among heterosexual women for a dad for their children remains strong.
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/9780195179903.003.0020
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
This chapter introduces Part III of the book. Women who have managed to free themselves from the social norms of married motherhood have done so as reluctant revolutionaries. They did not set out to ...
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This chapter introduces Part III of the book. Women who have managed to free themselves from the social norms of married motherhood have done so as reluctant revolutionaries. They did not set out to break new ground, but wanting a child before time ran out took precedence over following tradition. They relieve themselves of the burden of chasing marriage, only to be shouldered with the new trials of single motherhood. Today, women can be single mothers as an alternative to the nuclear family, with one catch: making this choice means making a promise to stay below the radar. That is to say, as long as they and not the government finance their motherhood; as long as they make their children fit society, not force society to fit their children; and as long as they reshape their individual jobs, not the workplace as a whole, they can be single mothers.Less
This chapter introduces Part III of the book. Women who have managed to free themselves from the social norms of married motherhood have done so as reluctant revolutionaries. They did not set out to break new ground, but wanting a child before time ran out took precedence over following tradition. They relieve themselves of the burden of chasing marriage, only to be shouldered with the new trials of single motherhood. Today, women can be single mothers as an alternative to the nuclear family, with one catch: making this choice means making a promise to stay below the radar. That is to say, as long as they and not the government finance their motherhood; as long as they make their children fit society, not force society to fit their children; and as long as they reshape their individual jobs, not the workplace as a whole, they can be single mothers.
Mariko Lin Chang
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195367690
- eISBN:
- 9780199944101
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367690.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
Women now receive more college degrees than men, and enter the workforce with better job opportunities than ever before. Indeed, the wage gap between men and women has never been smaller. So why does ...
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Women now receive more college degrees than men, and enter the workforce with better job opportunities than ever before. Indeed, the wage gap between men and women has never been smaller. So why does the typical woman have only 36 cents for every dollar of wealth owned by the typical man? How is it that never-married women working full-time have only 16% as much wealth as similarly situated men? And why do single mothers have only 8% of the wealth of single fathers? The first book to focus on the differences in wealth between women and men, this is an accessible examination of why women struggle to accumulate assets, who has what, and why it matters. The book draws on the most comprehensive national data on wealth and on in-depth interviews to show how differences in earnings, in saving and investing, and, most important, the demands of care-giving all contribute to the gender-wealth gap. It argues that the current focus on equal pay and family-friendly workplace policies, although important, will not ultimately change or eliminate wealth inequalities. What the book calls the “wealth escalator”—comprised of fringe benefits, the tax code, and government benefits—and the “debt anchor” must be the targets of policies aimed at strengthening women's financial resources. The book proposes a number of practical suggestions to address the unequal burdens and consequences of care-giving, so that women who work just as hard as men will not be left standing in financial quicksand.Less
Women now receive more college degrees than men, and enter the workforce with better job opportunities than ever before. Indeed, the wage gap between men and women has never been smaller. So why does the typical woman have only 36 cents for every dollar of wealth owned by the typical man? How is it that never-married women working full-time have only 16% as much wealth as similarly situated men? And why do single mothers have only 8% of the wealth of single fathers? The first book to focus on the differences in wealth between women and men, this is an accessible examination of why women struggle to accumulate assets, who has what, and why it matters. The book draws on the most comprehensive national data on wealth and on in-depth interviews to show how differences in earnings, in saving and investing, and, most important, the demands of care-giving all contribute to the gender-wealth gap. It argues that the current focus on equal pay and family-friendly workplace policies, although important, will not ultimately change or eliminate wealth inequalities. What the book calls the “wealth escalator”—comprised of fringe benefits, the tax code, and government benefits—and the “debt anchor” must be the targets of policies aimed at strengthening women's financial resources. The book proposes a number of practical suggestions to address the unequal burdens and consequences of care-giving, so that women who work just as hard as men will not be left standing in financial quicksand.
Kimiko Kimoto and Kumiko Hagiwara
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.003.0008
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter explores how and why the poverty of women has become apparent as an issue in contemporary Japan. It argues that the mechanisms that force women into poverty were already functioning in ...
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This chapter explores how and why the poverty of women has become apparent as an issue in contemporary Japan. It argues that the mechanisms that force women into poverty were already functioning in Japanese society, even at the time of the economic boom of the late 1980s. It is likely that these mechanisms were simply rendered invisible due to a number of factors. It is also conceivable that this phenomenon was already deeply rooted in the relationships among families, women, and the company society system that was built by large corporations after World War II. The first part of the chapter analyzes the characteristics of the social welfare system during the establishment and consolidation of the company society system, in order to consider how these are connected to current poverty among women. The second part focuses on single mothers and elderly women, presenting a number of indicators of their poverty.Less
This chapter explores how and why the poverty of women has become apparent as an issue in contemporary Japan. It argues that the mechanisms that force women into poverty were already functioning in Japanese society, even at the time of the economic boom of the late 1980s. It is likely that these mechanisms were simply rendered invisible due to a number of factors. It is also conceivable that this phenomenon was already deeply rooted in the relationships among families, women, and the company society system that was built by large corporations after World War II. The first part of the chapter analyzes the characteristics of the social welfare system during the establishment and consolidation of the company society system, in order to consider how these are connected to current poverty among women. The second part focuses on single mothers and elderly women, presenting a number of indicators of their poverty.
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/9780195179903.003.0102
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
This chapter concludes Part II of this book. While American society has reached a new marital low point and has begun the reconstruction of family life, it has not seen the demise of the master ...
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This chapter concludes Part II of this book. While American society has reached a new marital low point and has begun the reconstruction of family life, it has not seen the demise of the master narrative that still privileges the two-parent heterosexual genetic family. At the epicenter of the master narrative is the father, the patriarchal puppeteer of the family. Part II highlighted how women craft families to make their own look more like the “ordinary” American family. Single mothers begin to cut the strings en route to motherhood, only to find themselves dancing, on behalf of their children, to the master narrative once again.Less
This chapter concludes Part II of this book. While American society has reached a new marital low point and has begun the reconstruction of family life, it has not seen the demise of the master narrative that still privileges the two-parent heterosexual genetic family. At the epicenter of the master narrative is the father, the patriarchal puppeteer of the family. Part II highlighted how women craft families to make their own look more like the “ordinary” American family. Single mothers begin to cut the strings en route to motherhood, only to find themselves dancing, on behalf of their children, to the master narrative once again.
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/9780195179903.003.0014
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
This chapter introduces Part II of this book. It begins by noting how David Letterman used humor to shirk fatherhood's responsibilities before his child was even born. His comments bespeak a larger ...
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This chapter introduces Part II of this book. It begins by noting how David Letterman used humor to shirk fatherhood's responsibilities before his child was even born. His comments bespeak a larger ideal concept of being a dad, an ideal that he may fear he cannot measure up to because of his age. Letterman reveals both what the American family is supposed to look like, as well as his own personal failure to live up to those expectations. The chapters that make up Part II underscore the power of cultural norms to define how families should be. Often norms are revealed only when they are broken. Single-mother families not only reveal deeply held beliefs both about family membership and family content but also offer to people the opportunity to rethink the confusion surrounding genetic and social kinship in America, since there is no longer a tight fit between the two.Less
This chapter introduces Part II of this book. It begins by noting how David Letterman used humor to shirk fatherhood's responsibilities before his child was even born. His comments bespeak a larger ideal concept of being a dad, an ideal that he may fear he cannot measure up to because of his age. Letterman reveals both what the American family is supposed to look like, as well as his own personal failure to live up to those expectations. The chapters that make up Part II underscore the power of cultural norms to define how families should be. Often norms are revealed only when they are broken. Single-mother families not only reveal deeply held beliefs both about family membership and family content but also offer to people the opportunity to rethink the confusion surrounding genetic and social kinship in America, since there is no longer a tight fit between the two.
Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.003.0009
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter examines women's poverty in the United States. Poverty remains feminized in the United States despite reduction in official poverty levels of both single mothers and lone elderly women ...
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This chapter examines women's poverty in the United States. Poverty remains feminized in the United States despite reduction in official poverty levels of both single mothers and lone elderly women since the mid-1990s. Yet, the poverty rates of both groups remain high, whether based on the very low, static, and unrealistic threshold of the United States, or more realistic, relative or absolute standards that register higher rates. Minority status stands along with gender in both risk and prevalence of poverty; and the less educated, as well, are more prone to poverty. Consequently, there is a need for anti-poverty strategies that target inequalities of gender, race, and class.Less
This chapter examines women's poverty in the United States. Poverty remains feminized in the United States despite reduction in official poverty levels of both single mothers and lone elderly women since the mid-1990s. Yet, the poverty rates of both groups remain high, whether based on the very low, static, and unrealistic threshold of the United States, or more realistic, relative or absolute standards that register higher rates. Minority status stands along with gender in both risk and prevalence of poverty; and the less educated, as well, are more prone to poverty. Consequently, there is a need for anti-poverty strategies that target inequalities of gender, race, and class.
Diane Sainsbury and Ann Morissens
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.003.0002
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter initially presents the specific matrix of Swedish policies that has contributed to low poverty rates, with special emphasis on women's employment and social rights. It then describes the ...
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This chapter initially presents the specific matrix of Swedish policies that has contributed to low poverty rates, with special emphasis on women's employment and social rights. It then describes the challenge to the Swedish welfare state in the 1990s — an era of economic crisis and retrenchment — and the major policy responses. The main part of the chapter offers an analysis of the economic situation of solo mothers and single elderly women in the middle of the first decade of this century (mid-2000s), taking 1990 as benchmark for comparison. Central to the analysis is the question of whether policy changes since 1990 have led to a feminization of poverty in Sweden.Less
This chapter initially presents the specific matrix of Swedish policies that has contributed to low poverty rates, with special emphasis on women's employment and social rights. It then describes the challenge to the Swedish welfare state in the 1990s — an era of economic crisis and retrenchment — and the major policy responses. The main part of the chapter offers an analysis of the economic situation of solo mothers and single elderly women in the middle of the first decade of this century (mid-2000s), taking 1990 as benchmark for comparison. Central to the analysis is the question of whether policy changes since 1990 have led to a feminization of poverty in Sweden.
Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.003.0010
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter examines a question posed by earlier research: “whether the countries with policies that allow solo mothers to form an autonomous household with little risk of poverty crystallize into a ...
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This chapter examines a question posed by earlier research: “whether the countries with policies that allow solo mothers to form an autonomous household with little risk of poverty crystallize into a cluster corresponding to a particular welfare state regime”. The question is extended to older lone women. A subsequent section deals with the heterogeneity of both groups of lone women and its relationship to their poverty. The text then turns to the labor market, providing data on the gender gaps in employment and wages generally, and, specifically, on lone mothers. Finally, the poverty of the two groups of lone women is analyzed from the perspective of two sources of income: the market and government transfers.Less
This chapter examines a question posed by earlier research: “whether the countries with policies that allow solo mothers to form an autonomous household with little risk of poverty crystallize into a cluster corresponding to a particular welfare state regime”. The question is extended to older lone women. A subsequent section deals with the heterogeneity of both groups of lone women and its relationship to their poverty. The text then turns to the labor market, providing data on the gender gaps in employment and wages generally, and, specifically, on lone mothers. Finally, the poverty of the two groups of lone women is analyzed from the perspective of two sources of income: the market and government transfers.
Elizabeth Rose
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195111125
- eISBN:
- 9780199854295
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195111125.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Family History
Using Philadelphia as a case study, this book explores the history of day care from the perspective of families who have used it, tracing day care's transformation from a charity for poor single ...
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Using Philadelphia as a case study, this book explores the history of day care from the perspective of families who have used it, tracing day care's transformation from a charity for poor single mothers in the early 20th century to a legitimate and culturally accepted social need for ordinary families—and a potential responsibility of government—by the 1950s.Less
Using Philadelphia as a case study, this book explores the history of day care from the perspective of families who have used it, tracing day care's transformation from a charity for poor single mothers in the early 20th century to a legitimate and culturally accepted social need for ordinary families—and a potential responsibility of government—by the 1950s.
David Brady
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195385878
- eISBN:
- 9780199870066
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385878.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter examines structural theory as an alternative explanation. Structural theory contends that macro‐level labor market and demographic conditions put people at risk of poverty, and ...
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This chapter examines structural theory as an alternative explanation. Structural theory contends that macro‐level labor market and demographic conditions put people at risk of poverty, and cross‐sectional and temporal differences in these structural factors account for variation in poverty. Specifically, this chapter evaluates the influence on poverty of five structural factors: manufacturing employment, agricultural employment, female labor force participation, the elderly population, and children in single‐mother families. Most of these structural factors are influential, and structural theory is a reasonable alternative explanation. However, institutionalized power relations theory appears to be slightly more effective in explaining poverty.Less
This chapter examines structural theory as an alternative explanation. Structural theory contends that macro‐level labor market and demographic conditions put people at risk of poverty, and cross‐sectional and temporal differences in these structural factors account for variation in poverty. Specifically, this chapter evaluates the influence on poverty of five structural factors: manufacturing employment, agricultural employment, female labor force participation, the elderly population, and children in single‐mother families. Most of these structural factors are influential, and structural theory is a reasonable alternative explanation. However, institutionalized power relations theory appears to be slightly more effective in explaining poverty.
Claude Martin
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.003.0003
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter discusses women's poverty in France, particularly that of lone mothers and lone elderly women. The poverty of lone mothers stems from their position in the labor market. Lone mothers are ...
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This chapter discusses women's poverty in France, particularly that of lone mothers and lone elderly women. The poverty of lone mothers stems from their position in the labor market. Lone mothers are two times more likely to be unemployed, and the majority of them for more than 1 year. Among young mothers less than age 35, the unemployment rate of lone mothers is twice that of those who are partnered (32% vs. 16%). Available data and the review of social policies, show that the poverty of lone-aged women is not a central issue in France. Aged people are universally considered the main beneficiaries of the Trente Glorieuses (30 glorious years). There is no specific measure to combat the poverty of this group.Less
This chapter discusses women's poverty in France, particularly that of lone mothers and lone elderly women. The poverty of lone mothers stems from their position in the labor market. Lone mothers are two times more likely to be unemployed, and the majority of them for more than 1 year. Among young mothers less than age 35, the unemployment rate of lone mothers is twice that of those who are partnered (32% vs. 16%). Available data and the review of social policies, show that the poverty of lone-aged women is not a central issue in France. Aged people are universally considered the main beneficiaries of the Trente Glorieuses (30 glorious years). There is no specific measure to combat the poverty of this group.
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/9780195179903.003.0010
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
The women interviewed in this book, particularly the middle-class women, often state that they looked toward marriage and found themselves depressed by the dwindling odds of finding love that would ...
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The women interviewed in this book, particularly the middle-class women, often state that they looked toward marriage and found themselves depressed by the dwindling odds of finding love that would lead to children. They were hardened through horrible dates, failed relationships, and bad timing, and marriage took on an elusive quality that had been previously reserved for motherhood. As they believed marriage to be slipping further and further out of their reach, motherhood, on the other hand, moved closer, drawn in by their desire for children. Faced with the decision to choose one or the other in order to win, women found themselves making a difficult life decision. Single motherhood can be the solution to the dilemma for these women.Less
The women interviewed in this book, particularly the middle-class women, often state that they looked toward marriage and found themselves depressed by the dwindling odds of finding love that would lead to children. They were hardened through horrible dates, failed relationships, and bad timing, and marriage took on an elusive quality that had been previously reserved for motherhood. As they believed marriage to be slipping further and further out of their reach, motherhood, on the other hand, moved closer, drawn in by their desire for children. Faced with the decision to choose one or the other in order to win, women found themselves making a difficult life decision. Single motherhood can be the solution to the dilemma for these women.
Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This book studies women's poverty over the life course, focusing on the economic condition of single mothers and single elderly women — while also considering partnered women and immigrants — in ...
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This book studies women's poverty over the life course, focusing on the economic condition of single mothers and single elderly women — while also considering partnered women and immigrants — in eight wealthy but diverse countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In an analysis of labor market and social welfare sectors, the author and a team of international contributors conclude that both living-wage employment and government provision of adequate benefits and services are necessary if lone women are to achieve a socially acceptable living standard. Taken together, the chapters extend a feminist critique of welfare state theories and chart nations' disparate progress against poverty; probing, for instance, how Sweden emerged as a leader in the prevention of women's poverty, while the United States continues to lag behind.Less
This book studies women's poverty over the life course, focusing on the economic condition of single mothers and single elderly women — while also considering partnered women and immigrants — in eight wealthy but diverse countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In an analysis of labor market and social welfare sectors, the author and a team of international contributors conclude that both living-wage employment and government provision of adequate benefits and services are necessary if lone women are to achieve a socially acceptable living standard. Taken together, the chapters extend a feminist critique of welfare state theories and chart nations' disparate progress against poverty; probing, for instance, how Sweden emerged as a leader in the prevention of women's poverty, while the United States continues to lag behind.
Elizabeth Rose
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195111125
- eISBN:
- 9780199854295
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195111125.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, Family History
The case of Leah Nadel is a good example for showing some of the ways the day nurseries operated as a charity during the 1910s and 1920s. Even though she received charity from day nurseries, Leah ...
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The case of Leah Nadel is a good example for showing some of the ways the day nurseries operated as a charity during the 1910s and 1920s. Even though she received charity from day nurseries, Leah still had to struggle to keep up an image of being a respectable mother by working hard and supporting the different needs of her children. This chapter discusses the different problems and solutions faced by single mothers during that time, especially after the efforts of reformers and professional social workers made against working mothers.Less
The case of Leah Nadel is a good example for showing some of the ways the day nurseries operated as a charity during the 1910s and 1920s. Even though she received charity from day nurseries, Leah still had to struggle to keep up an image of being a respectable mother by working hard and supporting the different needs of her children. This chapter discusses the different problems and solutions faced by single mothers during that time, especially after the efforts of reformers and professional social workers made against working mothers.
Patricia Evans
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314304
- eISBN:
- 9780199865574
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314304.003.0006
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
This chapter begins with a discussion of the key factors that influence the changing profile of Canadian inequality and marginalization. These include the growth in precarious employment; the ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the key factors that influence the changing profile of Canadian inequality and marginalization. These include the growth in precarious employment; the discourse and direction of government spending, including the income-based policies that are particularly important to lone mothers and elderly women; and the level of commitment shown to gender equity. The next two sections explore, in turn, the economic well-being of lone mothers and elderly women, the factors that underlie Canada's declining poverty rates, and the current challenges posed by precarious employment. The chapter concludes by assessing the degree to which poverty in Canada is feminized.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of the key factors that influence the changing profile of Canadian inequality and marginalization. These include the growth in precarious employment; the discourse and direction of government spending, including the income-based policies that are particularly important to lone mothers and elderly women; and the level of commitment shown to gender equity. The next two sections explore, in turn, the economic well-being of lone mothers and elderly women, the factors that underlie Canada's declining poverty rates, and the current challenges posed by precarious employment. The chapter concludes by assessing the degree to which poverty in Canada is feminized.
Duncan Lindsey and Aron Shlonsky (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195304961
- eISBN:
- 9780199863648
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304961.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families, Research and Evaluation
Research has already been a significant factor in child welfare policy in recent years, but this book demonstrates that it has taken a leading role in the field to spur and guide change. The chapters ...
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Research has already been a significant factor in child welfare policy in recent years, but this book demonstrates that it has taken a leading role in the field to spur and guide change. The chapters in this book assess the effect of research on the full spectrum of child welfare services. The book covers every base. The opening chapters situate child welfare research in the modern context; they are followed by discussions of evidence-based practice in the field, arguably its most pressing concern now. Recent years have seen historic rises in the number of children adopted through public agencies and, accordingly, permanent placement and family ties are critical topics that occupy the book's core, along with chapters broaching the thorny questions that surround decision-making and risk assessment. The urgent need for a more effective use of research and evidence is highlighted again with looks at the future of child protection and how concrete data can influence policy and help children. Finally, in recognition of the growing importance of a global view, closing chapters address international issues in child welfare research, including an examination of policies from abroad and a multinational comparison of the economic challenges facing single mothers and their children.Less
Research has already been a significant factor in child welfare policy in recent years, but this book demonstrates that it has taken a leading role in the field to spur and guide change. The chapters in this book assess the effect of research on the full spectrum of child welfare services. The book covers every base. The opening chapters situate child welfare research in the modern context; they are followed by discussions of evidence-based practice in the field, arguably its most pressing concern now. Recent years have seen historic rises in the number of children adopted through public agencies and, accordingly, permanent placement and family ties are critical topics that occupy the book's core, along with chapters broaching the thorny questions that surround decision-making and risk assessment. The urgent need for a more effective use of research and evidence is highlighted again with looks at the future of child protection and how concrete data can influence policy and help children. Finally, in recognition of the growing importance of a global view, closing chapters address international issues in child welfare research, including an examination of policies from abroad and a multinational comparison of the economic challenges facing single mothers and their children.
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 ...
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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.
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/9780195179903.003.0024
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
What has happened to men in these families? If women are no longer in search of a man to make a baby, what role do men play in these children's lives? This chapter raises these questions, which so ...
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What has happened to men in these families? If women are no longer in search of a man to make a baby, what role do men play in these children's lives? This chapter raises these questions, which so many people ask of single mothers. It explores the contradictory reasoning behind including men, seeking to reveal what is so special about what men offer to children. Fatherlessness is a heated topic in America today. Some observers worry that fatherless families could lead to a generation of children with behavioral problems, to juvenile violence in schools, to adolescent childbearing, and to future economic malaise. Regardless, women are including men. However, they further struggle with the conflicting messages of a gendered system, socializing children to fit in while aspiring to raise feminist kids.Less
What has happened to men in these families? If women are no longer in search of a man to make a baby, what role do men play in these children's lives? This chapter raises these questions, which so many people ask of single mothers. It explores the contradictory reasoning behind including men, seeking to reveal what is so special about what men offer to children. Fatherlessness is a heated topic in America today. Some observers worry that fatherless families could lead to a generation of children with behavioral problems, to juvenile violence in schools, to adolescent childbearing, and to future economic malaise. Regardless, women are including men. However, they further struggle with the conflicting messages of a gendered system, socializing children to fit in while aspiring to raise feminist kids.
