Work care and social inclusion; lone motherhood under New Labour

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A summary of findings for One Parent Families by Adam Whitworth, Department for Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford. April 2007.

Executive summary

This research summary relates to a doctoral research project exploring lone mothers' reconciliation of paid work with time for care. During the research interviews with 29 working lone mothers around England were carried out: 12 of these interviewees were members of One Parent Families (OPF) and 17 were contacted through three different Sure Start centres where they were either staff or clients. The research investigated these lone mothers' views in relation to the contrasting assumptions, hypotheses, values and priorities set out within New Labour's social exclusion approach and within the 'ethic of care' literature. It focussed on addressing the following questions:

1. First, what motivates these lone mothers to work and what do they say they gain from being in paid work?

2. Second, what are different respondents' priorities and understandings in terms of work and care?

3. Third, what is the relative importance that each respondent places on earning money and having time to care?

4. Fourth, how does being in paid work affect respondents' time to care when they are not at work?

Download the full report below.

March07-Adam-Whitworth (PDF 82KB)

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