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Resilient young mothering: social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Resilient young mothering: social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood. / McDermott, Elizabeth; Graham, Hilary.
In: Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2005, p. 59-79.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

McDermott, E & Graham, H 2005, 'Resilient young mothering: social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood', Journal of Youth Studies, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 59-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676260500063702

APA

McDermott, E., & Graham, H. (2005). Resilient young mothering: social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood. Journal of Youth Studies, 8(1), 59-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676260500063702

Vancouver

McDermott E, Graham H. Resilient young mothering: social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood. Journal of Youth Studies. 2005;8(1):59-79. doi: 10.1080/13676260500063702

Author

McDermott, Elizabeth ; Graham, Hilary. / Resilient young mothering : social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood. In: Journal of Youth Studies. 2005 ; Vol. 8, No. 1. pp. 59-79.

Bibtex

@article{fce8267f250e483b8444c78690d8ab8e,
title = "Resilient young mothering: social inequalities, late modernity and the {\textquoteleft}problem{\textquoteright} of {\textquoteleft}teenage{\textquoteright} motherhood",
abstract = "This paper draws on a systematic review of qualitative research to explore the resilient mothering practices that young, British, working-class mothers employ to care for their children. The synthesis of studies of UK mothers under the age of 20 demonstrates how young working-class women must mother in impoverished circumstances, at the same time as being discursively positioned outside the boundaries of {\textquoteleft}normal{\textquoteright} motherhood. Consequently, they utilize the only two resources to which they may have access: their families and their own personal capacities. Engaging with debates regarding the extent of the transformations of the social in late modernity, the paper discusses the most prominent of the young mothers{\textquoteright} practices: investment in the {\textquoteleft}good{\textquoteright} mother identity, maintaining kin relations, and prioritization of the mother/child dyad. The paper argues that, while the young mothers{\textquoteright} practices display reflexivity and individualism, they are also deeply embedded in, and structured by, social inequalities.",
author = "Elizabeth McDermott and Hilary Graham",
year = "2005",
doi = "10.1080/13676260500063702",
language = "English",
volume = "8",
pages = "59--79",
journal = "Journal of Youth Studies",
issn = "1469-9680",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Resilient young mothering

T2 - social inequalities, late modernity and the ‘problem’ of ‘teenage’ motherhood

AU - McDermott, Elizabeth

AU - Graham, Hilary

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - This paper draws on a systematic review of qualitative research to explore the resilient mothering practices that young, British, working-class mothers employ to care for their children. The synthesis of studies of UK mothers under the age of 20 demonstrates how young working-class women must mother in impoverished circumstances, at the same time as being discursively positioned outside the boundaries of ‘normal’ motherhood. Consequently, they utilize the only two resources to which they may have access: their families and their own personal capacities. Engaging with debates regarding the extent of the transformations of the social in late modernity, the paper discusses the most prominent of the young mothers’ practices: investment in the ‘good’ mother identity, maintaining kin relations, and prioritization of the mother/child dyad. The paper argues that, while the young mothers’ practices display reflexivity and individualism, they are also deeply embedded in, and structured by, social inequalities.

AB - This paper draws on a systematic review of qualitative research to explore the resilient mothering practices that young, British, working-class mothers employ to care for their children. The synthesis of studies of UK mothers under the age of 20 demonstrates how young working-class women must mother in impoverished circumstances, at the same time as being discursively positioned outside the boundaries of ‘normal’ motherhood. Consequently, they utilize the only two resources to which they may have access: their families and their own personal capacities. Engaging with debates regarding the extent of the transformations of the social in late modernity, the paper discusses the most prominent of the young mothers’ practices: investment in the ‘good’ mother identity, maintaining kin relations, and prioritization of the mother/child dyad. The paper argues that, while the young mothers’ practices display reflexivity and individualism, they are also deeply embedded in, and structured by, social inequalities.

U2 - 10.1080/13676260500063702

DO - 10.1080/13676260500063702

M3 - Journal article

VL - 8

SP - 59

EP - 79

JO - Journal of Youth Studies

JF - Journal of Youth Studies

SN - 1469-9680

IS - 1

ER -