Experiences Of Single Mother Doctoral Students As They Navigate Between The Educational System Societal Expectations And Parenting Their Children A Phenomenological Approach

Among many factors, perhaps their confidence was shaped by cultural mantras in the United States, which proclaim that this is a country of opportunity where it is possible to pursue one's dreams and "reach the top of [one's] potential," as one of the participants indicated. Of relevance, there are a multitude of good reasons for women to leave abusive relationships in order to reach their full potential, and this was what many single-mother doctoral students have had to do. On one hand, societal expectations are on their side, encouraging them to leave the relationship. On the other hand, when they do leave, they often experience a crippling lack of cultural, societal, and programmatic support. When they left these relationships and decided to pursue their doctorates while being single parents to their children, they were often marginalized by their universities' doctoral programs and faculty, by peers, and by what should have been their support systems.

"In Mothering by Degrees, I show how single mothers who pursue college degrees in early 21st century America must navigate a difficult course as they attempt to reconcile their identities as single mothers, college students, and, in many cases, employees. As they combine these multiple and often competing roles and responsibilities, they must also negotiate a balance between cultural ideals of motherhood and their own definitions of what it means to be a "good" mother, particularly as those ideals and definitions are shaped within context of post-welfare reform America and the post-secondary institutions they attend. By comparing the experiences of nearly 100 single mother college students attending three postsecondary education institutions in the United States, I illustrate how these women navigate the various obstacles they encounter, especially obstacles related to financial concerns, child care, time constraints, and the "chilly" climate of higher education. In addition, I demonstrate that the women regard postsecondary education not only as a means of escaping poverty but also as an extension of their mothering work, something they do to help ensure the long-term health and well-being of their children. Thus, this project provides a situated, comparative account of the experiences of single mothers who are college students in order to foster a better understanding of the complex ideologies and social structures that influence the life choices and education experiences of members of this important but understudied student population. Finally, the project discusses policies and programs that can help provide better support to single mother and may diminish the challenges they face as they endeavor to complete their education"--

This is a collection of reviews, that appeared in CHOICE magazine, of over 2,000 women's studies titles. Arranged alphabetically by subject matter, using the editor's classifications, each entry reprints the text of the original review, gives bibliographic data and indicates readership level.

For Cathy, motherhood became an avenue for personal growth and awareness. She worked passionately and intentionally to develop a parenting approach which blended traditional values with empowerment and alternative methods. Motherhood became a quest to identify her true beliefs and deliberately pass them onto her children. Continually in a state of self-reflection, she asked herself: how can I ensure that my children learn to value family unity alongside independent thought? Cathy read, researched, inquired, tried, failed and tried again to discover her approach to motherhood. Cathy’s ultimate goal for her children was to foster love, joy, creativity, dignity, and community. She worked tirelessly to cultivate respect for all people and recognition that all opinions have value. Within the University of Motherhood lies the story of her journey from childhood to motherhood. Cathy hopes that readers experience as much joy and inspiration reading as she had writing about her many adventures and discoveries.

Examines the various aspects of the relationships between mothers and education at different levels in the education system. In particular, mothers of young children in relation to various educational policies are looked at in interaction with their children's schools and teachers.

This book examines how sole parents are constituted within university contexts, through social discourse and social policies. The gendered assumptions of female parental care-work are analysed as both constraining and enabling sole parent participation in higher education. Social welfare policies and the policies of university institutions are also considered as central to the experiences of sole parents who study at universities. This book explores the sense of belonging and engagement for sole parents in higher education with a view to challenging how universities engage with under-represented and diverse students. Equitable access to higher education is important as a potentially transformative personal and social good and this book contributes new thinking to understanding why a university education remains elusive for many students.