Children are a Necessity, Marriage is a Luxury: The Psychology of the Poor Single Mom

There is a cultural divide that cuts through the heart of the United States. This divide is not between Whites and minorities, or liberals and conservatives, but between the poor and well-off (middle and upper class). Today, most children born to mothers with a high school diploma or less, regardless of race, are outside of marriage while most children born to female university graduates, regardless of race, are within marriage. Furthermore, unlike Europe, where unmarried couples with children often see their relationships endure for decades, cohabitation among Americans, particularly low-income ones, is notoriously unstable.

Though rates are higher among Black and Hispanic women, nonmarital childbearing follows the same overall trend across the races.

The rise of the single mother and the retreat from marriage among the American lower class has generated alarm from the public, government, and policy experts alike. And though conservatives and liberals may differ in their explanation as to why single motherhood has skyrocketed, both seem baffled and exasperated by the seemingly callous and irresponsible decision making of poor women. It is no surprise then why the poor single mom has been a popular scapegoat or punching bag on to which many of society’s…