WUNRN
USA Review of Book on
Rural Single Mothers Study in the State of Vermont - Realities and Challenges
The
Social Economy of Single Motherhood
By
Margaret Nelson
Routledge
The Social Economy of Single Motherhood is a study of both facts
and perceptions of single motherhood in rural Vermont in contrast to more general
studies done on urban mothers. It details the circumstances behind every mom
interviewed for the study instead of lumping them into the stereotype of
single, poor, welfare moms who are just lazy and promiscuous. Many of these
women are divorced and left behind husbands for a variety of reasons including
abuse or negligence. Most of the single moms in the study were very poor,
though a few came from middle class backgrounds and weren’t living in poverty
until they had children. The book critiques welfare reform by looking at how it
impacts families who aren’t able to make ends meet or don’t have livable wages.
What sets this book apart is its focus on the social economy. The United States
is one of the few countries in the world that does not include or acknowledge
domestic work in its economic analysis even though, as Nelson writes, our
society would collapse without it. Nelson approached this subject in terms of
personal exchange and details women who seek friendships with other women of
similar circumstances to serve a variety of needs for one another (babysitting,
car rides, small loans, etc) with the understanding that everyone will be
reciprocal of time and energy given or shared. Nelson chronicles some very
disheartening exchanges in this arrangement, including sexual favors for car
repairs. The book briefly acknowledges the role that unlivable wages and
irresponsible fathers play in these circumstances. The most effective –
unintended perhaps – result of this book is that you can’t deny the need these
families have. A powerful read.
Review by Davina Rhine
The Social Economy of Single Motherhood: Raising Children
in Rural America (Perspectives on Gender)
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