Interwoven Lives

Whitman, Thomas L.; Borkowski, John G.; Keogh, Deborah A.; Weed, Keri

"...presents a unique and comprehensive longitudinal study of the lives of adolescent mothers and their children....Comprehensive information about the cognitive, socioemotional, and behavioral functioning of both mothers and children is presented."—Adolescence"This book offers important insights and, while written largely for a graduate audience, portions of the text will be readily accessible to undergraduate students and lay readers, as well. Of particular interest to a wide readership are the sections on adolescent mothers' life stories and social policy implications. Interwoven Lives lives up to its intriguing title; it describes accurately how the developmental outcomes and trajectories of adolescent mothers and their children are intertwined."—Journal of the Association for Research of Mothering"This book is a remarkable contribution. It represents the finest type of social science inquiry: thoughtful, thorough, sensitive, and analytic. The inquiry was guided by a well reasoned conceptual framework of what parenting is all about, and especially how starting the parenting journey very young--when the mother is a teenager herself--can alter her life course and that of her child. The data tap dimensions of key theoretical importance: knowledge of child development, parenting philosophy, and style....The findings presented in this book serve as a strong antidote to any simplistic portrayal of the lives of teen mothers and the outcomes for their children....The awareness that this study truly represents an important and up-to-date story of what adolescent parenting is all about permeates these chapters and culminates in thoughtful reflections on the implications....These insights and suggestions warrant attention and active discussion in policy circles, as well as among the many social service agencies, schools, health departments, and programs that work with young parents throughout our country."—Sharon Landesman RameyCivitan International Research Center and University of Alabama, Birmingham

• Contents: S.L. Ramey, Foreword. Preface. Adolescent Parenthood: A Changing Phenomenon. With E. Rellinger, Theoretical Perspectives on Adolescent Parenting. The Notre Dame Parenting Project: Design and Methodology. With M. O'Callaghan, Development of Adolescent Mothers. With M. O'Callaghan, T.L. Dukewich, Predicting Maternal Outcomes. With M. O'Callaghan, C.C. Willard, Developmental Delays in Children of Adolescent Mothers. With M. O'Callaghan, Predicting Child Development. Resiliency in Adolescent Mothers and Their Children. With S. Tingley, Life Stories of Adolescent Mothers. Implications for Social Policy.