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. Children, in increasing numbers, bear the brunt of those
policies. In this generation, more than two-thirds of all children will
spend some time in a single-parent family before reaching age 18. The
damage done in the name of justified stigma, therefore, harms a great
many children. Dowd details the primary justifications for stigmatizing
single-parent families, marshalling an impressive array of resources
about single parents that portray a very different picture of these
families. She describes them in all their forms, with particular
attention to the differential treatment given never-married and divorced
single parents, and to the impact of gender, race, and class.
Emphasizing that all families face significant conflicts between work
and family responsibilities, Dowd argues many two-parent families, in
fact, function as single-parent caregiving households. The success or
failure of families, she contends, has little to do with form. Many of
the problems faced by single-parent families mirror problems faced by
all families.
Illustrating the harmful impact of current laws concerning divorce,
welfare, and employment, Dowd makes a powerful case for centering policy
around the welfare and equality of all children. A thought-provoking
examination of the stereotypes, realities and possibilities of
single-parent families, In Defense of Single-Parent Families asks us
to consider the true purpose or goal of a family.
