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Viewing report
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Against All Odds:. Edition No. 1
VDM Publishing House, Aug 2008, Pages: 172
There is a substantial body of literature that
explores family adaptation within the context of
childhood disability. However, closer analysis
indicates that the focus of this research has
concentrated on two-parent family systems. Despite
evidence to suggest that single mothers are more
likely to be parenting children with disabilities;
their experiences have received minimal attention
within social science research. The intent of this
work was to explore the adaptation of single mothers
within a longitudinal framework, and to identify the
individual, family, social and environmental factors
that contribute toward resilience within this
population. Findings revealed a marked contrast
between public discourses and the personal narratives
of the mothers in this study. Concepts of family
resilience were revealed by mothers who challenged
definitions of single mothers as inadequate, who
disputed the definition of their children as
“disabled”, and who moved from a position of received
to authoritative knowledge. In contrast to public
perceptions of chronic dysfunction, single mothers of
children with disabilities view their experiences as
personally transformative and empowering.
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