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- Title
Why Are They Keeping Their Babies?
- Authors
Friedman, Helen L.
- Abstract
The article discusses the possible reasons why young single mothers decide to keep their babies. The article explains the new trend of keeping babies with three old clichés--changing societal values, changing life-styles, and youth asserting itself. Young single girls are keeping their babies far more often today than they did a few years ago. And majority of girls under 18 are having babies at a younger age than girls did a few years ago. Among certain groups there has always been some sentiment that the girl should keep the baby and accept the responsibility for his care. The baby was her flesh and blood and to abandon it was considered wrong. The traditional model of the two-parent family has been challenged by the variety of ways and patterns of parenting in the new generation. Adoption was viewed as a good and noble gift to the baby who would fare better with a prepared and intact family. It was also a noble and unselfish gift to the adoptive couple. Also, the article gives a description of girls who live in maternity homes alongwith observations of social workers on girls in maternity homes.
- Subjects
MOTHERHOOD; SINGLE mothers; PARENT-child relationships; MATERNITY homes; ADOPTION; SOCIAL workers; GIRLS; SOCIAL values; LIFESTYLES
- Publication
Social Work, 1975, Vol 20, Issue 4, p322
- ISSN
0037-8046
- Publication type
Article