GENDER, RACE, CLASS, AND THE TREND TOWARD EARLY MOTHERHOOD - A FEMINIST ANALYSIS OF TEEN MOTHERS IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

This research offers a feminist analysis of teen pregnancy and the trend toward single parenting. Forty-five young women between the ages of 14 and 19 were interviewed at a high school for teen mothers in the Denver metropolitan area. The findings of the study highlight the complex relationship between female adolescence, family structure, and social location as each of these factors informs the trend toward early motherhood. The analysis frames teen pregnancy within the feminist discourse on female development, focusing on issues of attachment and autonomy as these conflicting needs influence the choice to mother.