Download or read book Not Our Kind of Girl written by Elaine Bell Kaplan and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2023-04-28 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most worrisome images in America today is that of the teenage mother. For the African-American community, that image is especially troubling: All the problems of the welfare system seem to spotlight the black teenage mom. Elaine Bell Kaplan's affecting and insightful book dispels common perceptions of these young women. Her interviews with the women themselves, and with their mothers and grandmothers, provide a vivid picture of lives caught in the intersection of race, class, and gender. Kaplan challenges the assumption conveyed in the popular media that the African-American community condones teen pregnancy, single parenting, and reliance on welfare. Especially telling are the feelings of frustration, anger, and disappointment expressed by the mothers and grandmothers Kaplan interviewed. And in listening to teenage mothers discuss their problems, Kaplan hears first-hand of their misunderstandings regarding sex, their fraught relationships with men, and their difficulties with the educational system—all factors that bear heavily on their status as young parents. Kaplan's own experience as an African-American teenage mother adds a personal dimension to this book, and she offers substantial proposals for rethinking and reassessing the class factors, gender relations, and racism that influence black teenagers to become mothers.
Download or read book Black Teenage Mothers written by Constance Willard Williams and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 1991 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this ground-breaking book, Constance Williams reveals why, contrary to the adverse outcomes previously attributed to their lot, many black teenage mothers consider their lives enriched by childbearing. Here is a poignant exploration of themeaning of pregnancy and motherhood to young women who, although impoverished, express hope as freely tell their stories and reveal new truths about their attitudes. Williams discoverss that it is more often socialization -- not ignorance -- that leads black teens into motherhood at such a young age. She also reveals why early childbearing for these teens may well be an adaptive and even reasonable response to their social and cultural realities.
Download or read book African American and White Adolescent Mothers written by Faith L. Samples and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 1998 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the effectiveness of nurse home visits that have designed to ensure the healthy growth and development of young children of poor, unmarried African American and white adolescent mothers' by enhancing the mothers social support networks. Now more than ever, adolescent pregnancy and out-of-wedlock births are among the social and economic conditions that have made it difficult for American families to sustain themselves. Of primary concern is whether teenage mothers can effectively meet the needs of their infants when they themselves are grappling with developmental issues inherent in adolescence.This study concludes that the results of nurse home visits for adolescent mothers are mixed, depending on racial background and treatment group. Nurse visits increased levels of anticipated support on the part of adolescent mothers and enhanced the level of interest that male partners had in the pregnancies. Adolescent mothers without nurse visits were more likely than those with nurse visits to have high levels of child care and chore support once their children were born. African American adolescents reported higher levels of support in general than did white mothers. This book discusses the implications of these findings for policy.
Download or read book Pregnant Girl written by Nicole Lynn Lewis and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2021-05-04 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NPR BOOKS WE LOVE 2021 Selection “[T]his book is so much more than a memoir . . . . Her prose has the power to undo deep-set cultural biases about poverty and parenthood.”—New York Times Book Review An activist calls for better support of young families so they can thrive and reflects on her experiences as a Black mother and college student fighting for opportunities for herself and her child. Pregnant Girl presents the possibility of a different future for young mothers—one of success and stability—in the midst of the dismal statistics that dominate the national conversation. Along with her own story as a young Black mother, Nicole Lynn Lewis weaves in those of the men and women she’s worked with to share a new perspective on how poverty, classism, and systemic racism impact teen pregnancy and on how effective programs and equitable policies can help teen parents earn college degrees, have increased opportunity, and create a legacy of educational and career achievements in their families. After Nicole became pregnant during her senior year in high school, she was told that college was no longer a reality—a negative outlook often unfairly presented to teen mothers. Nicole left home and experienced periods of homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Despite these obstacles, she enrolled at the College of William & Mary and brought her 3-month-old daughter along. Through her experiences fighting for resources to put herself through college, she discovered her true calling and founded her organization, Generation Hope, to provide support for teen parents and their children so they can thrive in college and kindergarten—driving a 2-generation solution to poverty. Pregnant Girl will inspire young parents faced with similar choices and obstacles that they too can pursue their goals with the right support.
Download or read book On Becoming a Teen Mom written by Mary Patrice Erdmans and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2015-02-06 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2013, New York City launched a public education campaign with posters of frowning or crying children saying such things as "I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen" and "Honestly, Mom, chances are he won’t stay with you." Campaigns like this support a public narrative that portrays teen mothers as threatening the moral order, bankrupting state coffers, and causing high rates of poverty, incarceration, and school dropout. These efforts demonize teen mothers but tell us nothing about their lives before they became pregnant. In this myth-shattering book, the authors tell the life stories of 108 brown, white, and black teen mothers, exposing the problems in their lives often overlooked in pregnancy prevention campaigns. Some stories are tragic and painful, marked by sexual abuse, partner violence, and school failure. Others depict "girl next door" characters whose unintended pregnancies lay bare insidious gender disparities. Offering a fresh perspective on the links between teen births and social inequalities, this book demonstrates how the intersecting hierarchies of gender, race, and class shape the biographies of young mothers.
Download or read book The Journey of a Teenage Mother written by LaShunda Leslie-Smith and published by Lashunda Leslie-Smith, Lmsw. This book was released on 2013-09 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teenage motherhood is often accompanied by social issues, such as lower educational levels, higher rates of poverty, and other poorer life outcomes in children of teenage mothers. Among developed countries, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand have the highest levels of teenage pregnancy. This captivating memoir is a collection of stories from thirteen women from the US and the UK who have endured and persevered through teenage pregnancy. Their stories are passionate, powerful and life-affirming. Readers will be amazed by the resiliency and maturity displayed by these women at young ages. Their stories are full of encouragement and hope for anyone facing difficult life circumstances. The bonus section of the book features three stories written by the adult children of former teenage mothers. Their stories are equally as powerful.
Download or read book Dubious Conceptions written by Kristin Luker and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces the way popular attitudes came to demonize young mothers and examines the profound social and economic changes that have influenced debate on the issue, especially since the 1970s. --From publisher description.
Download or read book On Becoming a Teen Mom written by Mary Patrice Erdmans and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2015-02-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2013, New York City launched a public education campaign with posters of frowning or crying children saying such things as “I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen” and “Honestly, Mom, chances are he won’t stay with you.” Campaigns like this support a public narrative that portrays teen mothers as threatening the moral order, bankrupting state coffers, and causing high rates of poverty, incarceration, and school dropout. These efforts demonize teen mothers but tell us nothing about their lives before they became pregnant. In this myth-shattering book, the authors tell the life stories of 108 brown, white, and black teen mothers, exposing the problems in their lives often overlooked in pregnancy prevention campaigns. Some stories are tragic and painful, marked by sexual abuse, partner violence, and school failure. Others depict "girl next door" characters whose unintended pregnancies lay bare insidious gender disparities. Offering a fresh perspective on the links between teen births and social inequalities, this book demonstrates how the intersecting hierarchies of gender, race, and class shape the biographies of young mothers.
Download or read book Risking the Future written by Panel on Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing,National Research Council and published by . This book was released on 1987-01-15 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: This book presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Committee on Child Development Research and Public Policy within the National Research Council. The panel examined research and existing programs which address the areas of adolescent sexuality, pregnancy, and childbearing with the intent of making recommendations for policy making, program design, program evaluation, and research. The panel's report is presented in chapters addressing the following topics: trends in adolescent sexuality and fertility, society and changing roles of adolescents, determinants of sexual behavior, effects of adolescent childbearing, interventions, and priorities for data collection, research, policies, and programs. An accompanying volume contains the working papers on which the report was based. The working papers address three broad areas, which are: 1) influences on early sexual and fertility behavior, 2) consequences of early sexual and fertility behavior, and 3) programs and policies related to teen pregnancy and sexuality.
Download or read book My Brown Baby written by Denene Millner and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From noted parenting expert and New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner comes the definitive book about parenting African American children. For over a decade, national parenting expert and bestselling author Denene Millner has published thought-provoking, insightful, and wickedly funny commentary about motherhood on her critically acclaimed website, MyBrownBaby.com. The site, hailed a “must-read” by The New York Times, speaks to the experiences, joys, fears, and triumphs of African American motherhood. After publishing almost 2,000 posts aimed at lifting the voices of parents of color, Millner has now curated a collection of the website’s most important and insightful essays offering perspectives on issues from birthing while Black to negotiating discipline to preparing children for racism. Full of essays that readers of all backgrounds will find provocative, My Brown Baby acknowledges that there absolutely are issues that Black parents must deal with that white parents never have to confront if they’re not raising brown children. This book chronicles these differences with open arms, a lot of love, and the deep belief that though we may come from separate places and have different backgrounds, all parents want the same things for our families—and especially for our children.
Download or read book Reconceiving Black Adolescent Pregnancy written by Elizabeth Merrick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Images of pregnant Black teenagers and single Black mothers are plentiful in the media and popular culture. These representations have fueled debates on the need for welfare reform and have focused public attention on adolescent pregnancy among Black Americans. In Reconceiving Black Adolescent Pregnancy, Elizabeth Merrick presents a new understanding of childbearing and adolescent development among lower income Black American teenage girls. The author focuses primarily on the individual stories and themes of the six participants in the study. The first section provides the context, and the second section provides the major thematic findings. The final sections focus on agency and identity in this population. The findings that emerged from Merrick's study yield a provocative view that stands in marked contrast to assessments of pregnant Black adolescents as being deviant or greedy for welfare. There is a need for developmental models that start from, or at least incorporate, non-majority experiences. In particular, ethnographic accounts can provide key insights into different developmental pathways. Out of such accounts, new paradigms may also emerge to guide developmental research. Reconceiving Black Adolescent Pregnancy fills this void.
Download or read book Young Poor and Pregnant written by Judith S. Musick and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1993-01-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses how psychological pressures of adolescence interact with the problems of being poor to create a situation in which early sexuality, pregnancy and childbearing seem almost inevitable. Musick also looks at what is required to improve the life chances of teenage mothers and their children.
Download or read book Black Male Adolescents written by Benjamin Bowser and published by University Press of America. This book was released on 1994 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of this collection is to look at Afro-American young men within their full social and community context. The book consists of 19 chapters in four sections focusing on the structural conditions, parenting, education and social identity of young black men. Seventeen chapters are written specifically for this analysis; only two chapters have been previously published in other forms. The authors of these chapters are both university and community-based researchers and practitioners and are uniquely qualified due to their work, insights and experiences with young black men. What these writers provide are insights that can help us to better understand these young men as well as the conditions that dispose them toward successful and productive roles or toward self-destruction. Contents: Section One: Up Against the Odds; Section Two: Families and CommunitiesóParenting; Section Three: Education for Survival and Success; Section Four: Development of Cultural Identity.
Download or read book Destinies of the Disadvantaged written by Frank F. Furstenberg and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2007-11-15 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teen childbearing has risen to frighteningly high levels over the last four decades, jeopardizing the life chances of young parents and their offspring alike, particularly among minority communities. Or at least, that's what politicians on the right and left often tell us, and what the American public largely believes. But sociologist Frank Furstenberg argues that the conventional wisdom distorts reality. In Destinies of the Disadvantaged, Furstenberg traces the history of public concern over teen pregnancy, exploring why this topic has become so politically powerful, and so misunderstood. Based on over forty years of Furstenberg's research on teen childbearing, Destinies of the Disadvantaged relates how the issue emerged from obscurity to become one of the most heated social controversies in America. Both slipshod research by social scientists and opportunistic grandstanding by politicians have contributed to public misunderstanding of the issue. Although out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy rose notably between 1960 and 1990—a cause for concern given the burdens of single motherhood at a young age—this trend did not reflect a rise in the rate of overall teen pregnancies. In fact, teen pregnancy actually declined dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s. The number of unmarried teenage mothers rose after 1960, not because more young women became pregnant, but because those who did increasingly chose not to rush into marriage. Furstenberg shows how early social science research on this topic exaggerated the adverse consequences of early parenthood both for young parents and for their children. Researchers also inaccurately portrayed single teenage motherhood as a phenomenon concentrated among minorities. Both of these misapprehensions skewed subsequent political debates. The issue became a public obsession and remained so during the 1990s, even as rates of out-of-wedlock teen childbearing plummeted. Addressing teen pregnancy was originally a liberal cause, led by advocates of family planning services, legalized abortion, and social welfare programs for single mothers. The issue was later adopted by conservatives, who argued that those liberal remedies were encouraging teen parenthood. According to Furstenberg, the flexible political usefulness of the issue explains its hold on political discourse. The politics of teen parenthood is a fascinating case study in the abuse of social science for political ends. In Destinies of the Disadvantaged, Furstenberg brings that tale to life with the perspective of a historian and the insight of an insider, and provides the straight facts needed to craft effective policies to address teen pregnancy.
Download or read book Voices of African American Teen Fathers written by Angelia M. Paschal and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Voices of African-American Teen Fathers is an insightful look at adolescent pregnancy and parenthood through the eyes of fathers aged 14 to 19. This unique book features candid interviews with thirty teens who talk about doing what I got to dohandling their responsibilities as best they can given their perceptions, limitations, and life experiences. Teens talk about how and why they became fathers, how they handle being a parent, their perceptions of fatherhood, the relationships they have with their parents and the mothers of their children, and how they deal with the everyday struggles, demands, and concerns they face.
Download or read book When Children Want Children written by Leon Dash and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former Washington Post reporter Leon Dash spent a year living in one of the poorest ghettos in Washington, D.C., and a total of seventeen months conducting interviews examining the causes and effects of the ever-lowering age of teenage parents among poor black youths. Dash had expected to find inadequate sex education and lack of birth control to be the root cause of the growing trend toward early motherhood, but his conversations with the mothers themselves revealed the truth to be more complex. A riveting account of the human stories behind the statistics, When Children Want Children allows readers to hear the voices of young adults struggling with poverty and parenthood and gets to the heart of teenage parents' cultural values and motivations.
Download or read book Unfit Subjects written by Wanda S. Pillow and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-03-12 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wanda Pillow presents a critical analysis of federal law and polciy towards pregnant teens, representations of teen pregnancy in popular culture and educational policy assesses how schools provide educational opportunities for school aged mothers. Through in- depth analysis of specific policies and programmes, both past and present, thsi book traces America's successes and failures in educating pregnant teens. Unfit Subjects uses feminist, race and poststructural theories to inform a satisfactory educational policy.
