SINGLE TEENAGE MOTHER WITH NEWBORN - Research Paper Example

Millions of teenage girls get pregnant in the United States every year and most of them are those who did not take any contraceptive measure. Teenage pregnancy in the US is anticipated to be around 1 million with 85 percent as unplanned (Sams par. 1). Teenage pregnancy, for some mothers, is a disaster for their lives but for others, it is something of a blessing. Research suggests that many deleterious effects can result from teenage pregnancy- effects that are psychological, physical and social.

This paper intends to discuss what social problems do single teenage mothers go through and how the society deals with them. The issue of teenage pregnancies has always been considered as disagreeable in all ages (Holgate, Evans & Yuen). Duncan studied what effects teenage pregnancies had on social outcomes for the mother and found that although teenage pregnancies are expected to make the single mother suffer emotionally, socially and financially, still in many cases the mother regard the social outcomes as positive and consider it a delightful experience staying connected with the child.

Gillham (11) found that single teenage mothers feel respectable and powerful. He conducted a research about 533 single teenage mothers who came from lower socio-economic status. . Thus, for many single teenage mothers, their pregnancy and childbirth comes as an opportunity rather than devastation (Duncan). Kidger, while discussing the features of the New Labour’s Strategy as a part of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, states that the policy tends to offer the single teenage mothers better education and employment in order to save them from long term social exclusion.

However, Kidger states that the efforts for making the social inclusion possible for teenage mothers will result in encouraging them to develop more intimate relationships in teenage. Female teenagers will start taking their pregnancy as a valid option and an opportunity to avail better job opportunities. Giullari also concluded from his study that such policies are actually supporting the teenage pregnancies rather than controlling them. Despite positive outcomes experienced by many single teen mothers, it is impossible to ignore the stigma attached to the concept of teenage pregnancy.

Social discrimination, prejudice and late modernity have given rise to the need of resilient mothering practice that teenage mothers should utilize to look after their children (McDermott & Graham). Research also confirms that working single mothers who are in their teens have to suffer from social exclusion due to which they have to mother in poor conditions. They have to develop kin relations and a strong mother-child relationship to gain the identity of a good mother. This makes young mother practices impulsive but restricted by social inequalities.

Single teenage mothers have been stigmatized by the society so much so that this perception has created great negative impacts on their lives and their