In Defense of Single-Parent Families

by Nancy E. Dowd

Book Overview

Single-parent families succeed. Within these families children thrive, develop, and grow, just as they do in a variety of family structures. Tragically, they must do so in the face of powerful legal and social stigma that works to undermine them.
As Nancy E. Dowd argues in this bold and original book, the justifications for stigmatizing single-parent families are founded largely on myths, myths used to rationalize harshly punitive social policies...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814719163
• ISBN13: 9780814719169
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: New York University Press
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Confidence, hope, validation

I read this book as a new single parent. It gave me so much to think about. What's more, it gave me the documentation and the argument to explain why my gut feeling that being a single parent was *good*, was right. This book has dug me out of numerous arguments with people who think that the only way to have a successful family is with a Mom and a Dad. It has wonderful references, and puts together a meaningful look at family structures.

Insightful and comprehensive view family structures

Not only did I find the discussion of legal, cultural and demographic influences on various family structures well-reasoned and comprehensive, but Ms. Dowd's final vision for fusion of "nontraditional" families into our broader understanding of the family structure was reminiscent of a quote by Foucalt, where he said: "What is good is something that comes through innovation. The good does not exist like that in an atemporal sky, with people who would be like astrologers of the Good, whose job is to determine the favorite nature of the stars. The good is defined by us, it is practiced, it is invented." For me, the book provided an insight into the marginalization of "nontraditional" families, and the inherent falsehood of those static views of the family structure that have tended to discredit family structures that fall outside the paradigmatic circumference.