TEENAGE MOTHERHOOD & POVERTY

Teenage Motherhood and Poverty: Cause and Escape Routes

Abstract

The reduction of teenage pregnancy has attracted much interest in research, practice and social policy. Little is known about teenagers who report their pregnancies as 'planned'. Forty-one in-depth interviews were undertaken, in six different parts of England, among young women who reported their pregnancy as 'planned'. The mean age at conception for a 'planned' pregnancy was 16.8 years. Three key themes emerged when analysing the interview data. Firstly, young women reported varied accounts in the extent their pregnancy was planned (from clear discussions with partner, through to 'positive ambivalence'). Secondly, the women associated childhood experiences and their social and personal backgrounds with their decision to 'plan' pregnancy (including an unsettled background and negative educational experiences). Thirdly, more explicitly and directly, young women viewed pregnancy as a chance to gain a new identity and change direction in life. Young women perceived this decision as highly rational and one that had contributed to a dramatic improvement in their life. The paper debates the current policy emphasis on reducing teenage pregnancy and young motherhood, draws reference to theoretical foundations of fragmented transitions to adulthood and class cultural constructions of motherhood, and outlines implications for teenage pregnancy reduction.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract2

CHAPTER I4

A Look At Teenage Motherhood In The UK4

CHAPTER II9

Literature Review (Causes Of Teenage Motherhood)9

CHAPTER III25

Research Approach25

Defining a 'Planned' Pregnancy26

Methodology27

Sampling and Recruitment of Participants for Interview27

Interview Schedule and Administration28

CHAPTER IV31

Themes and Explanations Derived from the Transcripts31

Data Analysis40

Results41

Sample Profile41

Discussion48

Critical Perspective on Social Policy48

CHAPTER V54

Recommendations & Conclusions54

Conclusion58

References62

Teenage Motherhood and Poverty: Cause and Escape Routes

CHAPTER I

A Look at Teenage Motherhood In The UK

The aim of reducing rates of teenage pregnancies in some westernised nations has attracted much interest in research, practice and social policy. This has particularly been the case in the United Kingdom and the United States. To illustrate, live birth rates among women aged 18-19 in the United Kingdom and United States are around five and eight times greater, respectively, than Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark (UNICEF 2001).

The Teenage Pregnancy Unit is a cross-Government Unit in England established in 1999 to implement the Social Exclusion Unit's report on Teenage Pregnancy (Social Exclusion Unit 1999). One of the key targets of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is to halve the under-18 conception rate by 2010. The latest available data report an 11.5 per cent decline since 1998 (Office for National Statistics 2005). As well as providing support to teenage parents, the Strategy emphasises the need to counter ignorance about sex and relationships to avoid 'accidents', ease access to contraception, and empower young people with the skills to delay starting sex and use contraception effectively (Social Exclusion Unit 1999). At first glance, this appears a most appropriate policy focus given that the majority of pregnancies at this age are likely to be 'unplanned'. It is also reported, and backed anecdotally, that a sense of 'planning' may underlie a proportion of these teenage pregnancies. In contrast to 'unplanned' pregnancies, teenagers 'planning' their pregnancy are less well recognised in ...