Hello,

I am writing an article for my school newspaper about single mothers and how they are oppressed. I was wondering if you might help? How do you feel single mothers perceive themselves? How do you feel society perceives single parents (mothers)? It would be great if you could help me.

Thanks,

-L.P.

Dear L.P.,

I was actually raised by a single mother and know that I felt reverberations of a stereotype against them -- I joke that I thought I was predestined to be knocked up in the back up of someone's pick up truck by the time I was 16 -- but that didn't happen and I have come to learn that what matters is what you get from your family -- love, nurturing, support, etc... -- not who it comes from. All that said, I don't know of any hard research on this topic -- but there have been a few books to come out in the past few years on this and related topics -- perhaps you can check those out. I can't remember the exact titles, but a search on Amazon should yield some things.

Good luck,

-- Amy