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Thanks for Nothing: The Economics of Single Motherhood since 1980
In 1980, single mother families were five times more likely than two-parent families to be poor. Forty years later, single-mother families are still five times more likely to be poor. How can this be given the vast increases in education and employment achieved by American women over this period?
In Thanks for Nothing, Nicholas H. Wolfinger and Matthew McKeever explore the contradictions that lie at the heart of single motherhood. Drawing on forty years of data from two large national surveys, they find that the mystery of single mothers' economic stagnation can be explained by changes in the kind of women most likely to become single mothers. In 1980, most single mothers were divorced women; forty years later, the majority are mothers who gave birth out of wedlock. On paper, divorced women look a lot like their married contemporaries, but with one income instead of two. Never-married mothers are a completely different population--they have less education, work less, and receive lower economic returns on their educational credentials when they do work. They're also far more likely to have grown up in underprivileged families. Ultimately, Wolfinger and McKeever find that some single mothers are doing better even as others have fallen through the cracks.
Providing an in-depth look into the economics of single motherhood, Thanks for Nothing offers the most detailed statistical portrait of single mothers to date and, importantly, provides concrete suggestions for how policymakers should respond to persisting inequalities among mothers.
In Thanks for Nothing, Nicholas H. Wolfinger and Matthew McKeever explore the contradictions that lie at the heart of single motherhood. Drawing on forty years of data from two large national surveys, they find that the mystery of single mothers' economic stagnation can be explained by changes in the kind of women most likely to become single mothers. In 1980, most single mothers were divorced women; forty years later, the majority are mothers who gave birth out of wedlock. On paper, divorced women look a lot like their married contemporaries, but with one income instead of two. Never-married mothers are a completely different population--they have less education, work less, and receive lower economic returns on their educational credentials when they do work. They're also far more likely to have grown up in underprivileged families. Ultimately, Wolfinger and McKeever find that some single mothers are doing better even as others have fallen through the cracks.
Providing an in-depth look into the economics of single motherhood, Thanks for Nothing offers the most detailed statistical portrait of single mothers to date and, importantly, provides concrete suggestions for how policymakers should respond to persisting inequalities among mothers.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published December 13, 2024
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January 19, 2026
I lived in a very low income area for about 3 years. Along one row of the complex were about 6 apartments all housing single mothers of minors. I got to know them and their different situations well over the course of those years and they all were strong women with different stories who, for various reasons, struggled---with their situation and with the government system(both the hoops and the help---or lack of it).
On the other side of the fence bordering that property were some of the largest homes in the city. Swimming pools outside, opulent interiors, high-rise ceilings--the works. I thought of that situation and those tough women as I read this book.
Looks like some solid presentation of data. Definitely for academic social scientists (I am not one).
It also wasn't really clear. But maybe because stats isn't my field. I did agree with their final conclusion(I think... it was a bit unclear): there are some women who need more help than they are getting.
On the other side of the fence bordering that property were some of the largest homes in the city. Swimming pools outside, opulent interiors, high-rise ceilings--the works. I thought of that situation and those tough women as I read this book.
Looks like some solid presentation of data. Definitely for academic social scientists (I am not one).
It also wasn't really clear. But maybe because stats isn't my field. I did agree with their final conclusion(I think... it was a bit unclear): there are some women who need more help than they are getting.
Displaying 1 of 1 review