Introduction -- Single motherhood and poverty in a theoretical perspective -- Making ends meet: constructing daily life -- Fathers, boyfriends and ex-husbands -- Motherhood, neatness and poverty -- Being on benefits and dependent on the state -- Networks that support and stigmatize -- Migrant women and the state -- Discussion and conclusions
Summary
In the Netherlands, single mothers run a high risk of becoming poor, even though this country has a well-developed welfare system. This study brings together many partial life histories of single mothers of different cultural backgrounds and origins and shows that poverty is not solely material deprivation. Through its in-depth account of the ways single mothers construct their everyday lives, this book sheds light on the many social, cultural and structural dimensions of poverty. In a context of economic hardship, gender inequality and stigmatization, the interviewed women give meaning to the
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-223)