Factors that might allow prediction of the unwed mother's decision to keep her child or to surrender it for adoption are examined in this study of 137 white and black clients of a social agency. (NH)

Discusses the research on illegitimacy in the United States and welfare's role in promoting it. The author examines where analysts agree and disagree in the debate and concludes with a discussion concerning black illegitimacy rates compared with the rise in welfare payment amounts. (GLR)

This study was conducted to test the following notions: (1) blacks are less committed to the norm of legitimacy and; (2) black women have less reason and desire than white women to marry--whether or not they are unmarried mothers. The data are drawn from a questionnaire administered to 704 obstetrical patients, 81 percent of whom were black.…

The fertility rate for the 12 months ending in June 1988 was an estimated 69.7 births per 1,000 women aged 18 to 44 years. Fertility rates during the 1980s have been stable. The statistics on childbearing and birth expectations of U.S. women contained in the detailed tables of this report are based on data collected in the June 1988 supplement to…

Queried unmarried adolescent fathers (N=28) about their readiness for fatherhood. Found that readiness increased as their mate's pregnancy advanced and that males who had had longer prepregnancy relationships with their mates tended to be more supportive of them prenatally. Most adolescent fathers planned to work to help support their infants.…

Presents comparative racial data on unwed mothers concerning disposition of offspring and their own marital decisions, and interprets findings in context of more general discussion of marriage reasons among women. Portions of paper presented at Society for the Study of Social Problems, Montreal, 1964. (Author/CJ)

Daniel Patrick Moynihan looks back on the Moynihan Report of 30 years ago and describes the transformation of American society it heralded. As the number of nonmarital births rises among persons of all races, a change from social organization derived from the family is increasingly apparent. (SLD)

A look back at the 1965 Moynihan report makes it apparent that the nation has experienced further social decline in the past three decades and that society is becoming inured to the trauma. It is encouraging that public discourse is beginning to acknowledge society's problems and look for solutions. (SLD)

Analysis of four national cross-sectional fertility surveys, 1955-84, documents the decreasing likelihood that single women pregnant with their first child will marry to legitimate the birth. Among recent cohorts, decision to marry was influenced by woman's expectations about the timing of marriage and parenthood, living arrangements, academic…

In his well-known article "The Coming White Underclass" and other writings Charles Murray has suggested that welfare is the primary cause of out-of-wedlock childbearing. He contends that welfare, including Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and subsidized housing, should be eliminated. While Murray's views have…

Study examined perceptions of pregnancy, including life-expectations, desire for pregnancy, and knowledge of menstrual cycle in a sample of pregnant urban adolescents. Results indicate that, although teens were aware of birth control methods, they had little understanding of menstrual cycle and its relationship to intercourse. And while few…

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES OF A PROGRAM FOR DISADVANTAGED UNWED PREGNANT TEENAGERS IN SYRACUSE. THE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR A YEAR, ATTEMPTS (1) TO PROVIDE A NEARLY TUTORIAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, (2) TO ESTABLISH INDIVIDUAL DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS, (3) TO TEACH THE…

This article discusses trends in the occurrence of out-of-wedlock births and factors which contribute to or are associated with illegitimate pregnancies. Specifically discussed are the rates of increase of such births, particularly among unmarried teenage mothers, and the ethnic, social, and psychological characteristics of unwed mothers. It is…