1st Edition

The Dilemmas of Lone Motherhood Essays from Feminist Economics

Edited By Randy Albelda, Sue Himmelweit, Jane Humphries Copyright 2005
    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    284 Pages
    by Routledge

    In today’s society, women - having entered the workplace in growing numbers worldwide - are increasingly expected to earn wages whilst still being primarily responsible for raising children. While all parents confront the tensions of this double burden, for lone mothers, the situation can be especially acute as there is no other adult to share responsibilities and no access to a male wage.

    The revealing essays in this volume address a range of the dilemmas lone mothers routinely face, whilst also distinguishing important situational differences, and considering other social perspectives. It asks:

    * How can governments help without undermining their ability to enter the workforce?
    * Should the state indefinitely support lone mothers?
    * How should we measure the success of a policy?
    * What roles do ethnicity, race, religion, class and sexual orientation play?

    The impressive range of contributors to this volume speak from numerous contrasting perspectives. Here they study a variety of international settings such as Sri Lanka, the US, Germany, England and Norway, and in so doing, they allow the reader to draw powerful conclusions by comparing such issues and potential resolutions in varying countries and contexts.

    This book was previously published as a special issue of Feminist Economics.

    Part 1: Introduction 1. The Dilemmas of Lone Motherhood: Key issues for feminist economics Part 2: Articles 2. How Men Matter: Housework and self-provisioning among rural single-mother and married-couple families in Vermont, US 3. Lone Mothers in Russia: Soviet and post-Soviet policy 4. Welfare Rules, Business Cycles, and Employment Dynamics Among Lone Parents in Norway 5. Family Economy Workers or Caring Mothers?: Male breadwinning and widows' pensions in Norway and the UK 6. The Commodification of Lone Mothers' Labor: A comparison of US and German policies 7. Welfare as We [Don't] Know It: A review and feminist critique of welfare reform research in the United States 8. Mundane Heroines: Conflict, ethnicity, gender, and female headship in Eastern Sri Lanka 9. The Route Matters: Poverty and inequality among lone-mother households in Russia Part 3: Exploration 10. All the Lesbian Mothers are Coupled, All the Single Mothers are Straight, and All of Us are Tired: Reflections on being a single lesbian mom Part 4: Dialogue, Lone Mothers: What is to be done? 11. Introduction 12. What Policies Toward Lone Mothers Should We Aim For? 13. Is Work Worth it for Lone Parents? 14. An Immodest Proposal 15. Who Cares?

    Biography

    Randy Albelda, Sue Himmelweit, Jane Humphries