Not the Whole Story

Challenging the Single Mother Narrative

Lea Caragata, Judit Alcalde, Lea Caragata, Judit Alcalde

• Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781554586363
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

Not the Whole Story is a compilation of sixteen stories narrated by single mothers in their own way and about their own lives. Each story is unique, but the same issues appear again and again. Abuse, parenting as single mothers, challenges in the labour market, mental health and addictions issues, a scarcity of quality childcare, immigration and status vulnerability, struggles with custody, and poverty—these factors, combined with a lack of support, contribute to their continued struggles.

The themes that recur across stories illustrate that the issues the women face are not just about individual struggle; they demonstrate that major issues in Canada's social system have been neglected in public policy. In order for these issues to be addressed we need to challenge the flawed public policies and the negative discourse that continue to marginalize single mothers—in terms of the opportunities in their own lives and in terms of how they are understood by other Canadians.

The first-person narratives of the struggles and issues faced by low-income single mothers provide narrative richness and are augmented by introductory and concluding chapters that draw the narrative themes together and offer overarching discussion and analysis.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction — Lea Caragata
• On the Process of Creating This Book and on the Stories That Needed Telling — Robin
• The Individual Stories
• Making Meaning — Lea Caragata and Judit Alcalde
• Conclusion — Lea Caragata
• References