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Windows into the past: A historical multi -case study of five women who experienced pregnancy as unmarried teens
Abstract
Every year approximately one million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant. Contrary to common perception, teen pregnancy cuts across all cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and is not unique to poor, minority, and disadvantaged youth. As a societal phenomenon, teen pregnancy consumes fiscal and human resources and can result in the loss of valuable human potential. Much of the literature on teenage pregnancy focuses on teen birth rates and numbers and on the outcomes of teen parents and their children. There is an absence of qualitative research that explores the experience of unmarried teen pregnancy from women's viewpoints in different decades. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to gain a historical view of unmarried teen pregnancy from the experiences of five women from five different decades (the 1950s through the 1990s) who became pregnant as unmarried teens. The research questions guiding the study were built on the assumption that the history of teen pregnancy influences its interpretation as a contemporary social issue. In each woman's chapter, her story and memories of the times provided insight into the family, social, and cultural context in which she lived. A view of unwed teen pregnancy was developed through exploration with the participants about this context, choices and consequences, and the life-long impact they experienced. Common themes were identified. A clearer understanding of the phenomenon of teen pregnancy emerged when the participants' stories were surrounded by decade literature. Literature depictions of the societal views of teen pregnancy frequently corroborated the participants' beliefs and actions. Conversely, popular public opinion and attitudes at the time often shaped these women's responses to and decisions about teen pregnancy. The learnings from the study suggest actions for professionals in education and health care, parents, and other members of the community. The recommendations focus on the need for and development of interventions for addressing teen pregnancy as well as continuing research on the complex issues surrounding its occurrence. The study supports the need for families and communities to come together to engage in meaningful dialogue, to collaboratively assess the needs of youth, and to develop and implement strategies specifically designed to foster primary prevention of teen pregnancy. The study indicates that further research is warranted on the outcomes of specific programs established to prevent teen pregnancy and on the relationship between environmental support and personal resilience of women who experience unwed teen pregnancy.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Nursing|Public health|School administration
Recommended Citation
Valerio, Marilyn J, "Windows into the past: A historical multi -case study of five women who experienced pregnancy as unmarried teens" (1999). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9951308.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9951308