Motherhood under twenty: prevailing ideologies and research

Abstract

SUMMARY. Women who become mothers under the age of 20 are usually thought to he at greater risk of health and social problems. The authors argue that such a prevailing view has become institutionalised in the approaches of practitioners and researchers. They examine the ideological and factual bases of such an attitude towards teenage mothers and conclude that ideology is dominant. Suggestions are made as to how this might be overcome to allow a more balanced approach to research about young motherhood.