Young Mothers? - Ann Phoenix

This book analyses why and in what circumstances teenage women become mothers. In a radical departure from existing studies in this area, Ann Phoenix does not condemn early motherhood as a problem, but focuses on both positive and negative aspects of these womens experiences.
A central part of the authors analysis are firsthand accounts by women who have become mothers before the age of twenty. Among other areas, Phoenix discusses the womens attitudes towards their pregnancy, towards men and marriage, and towards the social services upon which many young mothers rely. She also examines how the concept of teenage motherhood has been socially constructed and contrasts many of societys negative conceptions with the womens own personal perceptions and experiences.