Overview

In this book the authors examine in depth the lives of inner-city adolescent mothers, going beyond stereotypes to illuminate the diverse pathways to young adulthood taken by these young women. The different ways they respond to becoming a parent reflect a range of abilities, aspirations, and supports. Their often-creative solutions to living in poverty, the intensity of their desires to make their children's lives better, the height of their youthful ambition when they succeed, and the depth of their pain when they fail, all show a surprising range. The authors argue that adolescent mothers who enter young adulthood with the skills and desires to care for themselves and their children are not the resilient few and present a lengthy analysis of the multidimensional processes that lead to and characterize this resilience. In making constructive suggestions for social welfare policies and reforms, this book serves as an ideal model of the important uses of qualitative research for understanding the adolescent experience. More than that, the book stands out among others by this social policy perspective and its focus on encouraging adolescent mothers to reach their potentials. This volume aims to attract those who wish to learn more about the adolescent experience without getting lost in the detail of the methods and analyses. To this end, the main body of the text presents general methods and results. Scholarly details of the work are placed in appendices to which the interested reader can refer. A second highlight is the inclusion of impressionistic material, such as quotes from the adolescent mothers who were participants in this research. Such material brings to life the real issues of very real adolescents--their triumphs and struggles, their riches and poverty, their strengths and weaknesses.

Full Product Details

Author:   Bonnie J. Ross Leadbeater ,  Niobe Way
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Inc
Imprint:   Psychology Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.640kg
ISBN:  

9780805837360

ISBN 10:   0805837361
Pages:   260
Publication Date:   01 April 2001
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Reviews

The authors consider the various pathways to adulthood that these young women traverse, the diversity of their solutions to the problems of parenting in poverty, the strengths of their aspirations for the future, and the depths of their desires to improve their lives and the lives of their children. The result is a fascinating study of human resilience that will soon be recognized for its contribution to individuals involved in program development and policymaking with teenage parenting....Highly recommended for all psychology and sociology collections. -CHOICE

Author Information

Bonnie J. Ross Leadbeater, Niobe Way

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