The Unmarried Adolescent Mother Under Pre-Natal Care: A Study of the Problems of the Unwed Mother, Aged 15-19, as Shown in Nine Cases Known to the Sloane Hospital of the Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, 1957
Abstract
One instance of life experience which is influenced particularly in its meanings, motives and behavior patterns by the factor of age level is unmarried motherhood. The problem of the unwed adolescent mother is not a new one, but in recent years the knowledge of motivations and psychodynamics underlying this particular type of behavior has enabled us to look into the problem with a greater awareness and insight. Because of the present increasing understanding of the difficulties and conflicts involved in normal adolescence and with the recognition of the importance of secure and happy parent-child relationships, it is now possible to evaluate the experience of extra-marital pregnancy in adolescence with greater exaction. This problem can be seen as having three major dynamic components — motherhood, adolescence and violation of the socially sanctioned code of marriage. Thus, the subject is a young person not fully grown up; in addition, she is a mother. Not only that, she is also a mother under the very special set of conditions implicit in our society in not being married. Because of our culture, we tend to censure the birth of children out-of-wedlock. Therefore, it is not difficult to see that a family involved in this type of situation will usually suffer feelings of humiliation and shame in the community. In the instance of the unwed adolescent mother, further shame is added in that usually these girls are expelled or at least dismissed from school.
Subject Area
Individual & family studies|Health care management|Social work
Recommended Citation
Manning, Rowena Mary, "The Unmarried Adolescent Mother Under Pre-Natal Care: A Study of the Problems of the Unwed Mother, Aged 15-19, as Shown in Nine Cases Known to the Sloane Hospital of the Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, 1957" (1958). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30557632.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30557632
