...issues in our society. “Numerous individuals and social institutions play a role in the social interaction of everyday life and in the socialization of each individual” (M.U.S.E., 2013). Using sociological imagination I will build a connection with being an unmarried pregnant teenager and the impact it has socially in our society. Sociological Imagination As individuals we based our decisions on values instilled in us and peer pressure from our society. “We are individually shaped by society and social interaction through the process of socialization, which begins at birth and continues throughout our lifetime” (M.U.S.E., 2013). Teenage pregnancy has been a concern in our society and over the past 20 years, pregnancy in unmarried teenagers has increased dramatically. “Unmarried pregnant teenager varies based upon race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic status” (Mollborn, 2009). Based on my experience low income families and the community they live in accept unmarried teenage pregnancy, because it is normal to them. Teenage pregnancy has increased and is an undisclosed major problem in our society. As a society we want to make sure everyone is properly educated on teen pregnancy. “Non-marital pregnancy is more common in racial or ethnic minority and low socioeconomic status, these parents are perceived to have low socioeconomic futures, families from high socioeconomic status and communities will discourage a pregnancy that will propel...
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...Unwed Mothers Is Teen Pregnancy the Problem? Institute for American Values This report comes from the Marriage Project of the Institute for American Values. Maggie Gallagher, the principal investigator, is an affiliate scholar at the Institute and the director of its Marriage Project. The Institute is grateful to Amara Bachu, Douglas J. Besharov, Norval Glenn, Dana Mack, Steven L. Nock, and Maris Vinovskis for their scholarly and editorial suggestions, and to the William H. Donner Foundation for its generous financial support of this initiative. The contributions of other supporters are also greatly appreciated. On the cover: Maternity (1950) by Milton Avery. Oil on canvas, 32 X 46 inches. Collection of Sally M. Avery. ©1999, Milton Avery Trust/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY. © 1999, Institute for American Values. All rights reserved. No reproduction of the materials contained herein is permitted without the written permission of the Institute for American Values. ISBN 0-9659841-5-X Institute for American Values 1841 Broadway, Suite 211 New York, NY 10023 Tel: (212) 246-3942 Fax: (212) 541-6665 info@americanvalues.org www.americanvalues.org The Age of Unwed Mothers Is Teen Pregnancy the Problem? Executive Summary Why have three decades of intensive national effort to reduce teen pregnancy not been more successful? Largely because for three decades, we have framed the problem falsely. What we have called our “teen pregnancy” crisis is not really...
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...Teen Pregnancy Before we venture into the controversial aspects of teen pregnancy, I think that it is imortant to answer a vital question brought up by one of our classmates. This question addresses how teen pregnancy has evolved and how times have changed to bring upon such a serious issue. To begin answering this question we must take a look back in time to the roles of women and men in our society. Teen pregnancy is not just a rare virus that has recently sprung up and will someday dissapear due to some type of cure. Adolescent pregnancy has plagued our country for over three centuries, but it is only more recently that we have noticed its growth and severe impact on many aspects of society. The social change that lead to this visibility is not only based on a change in sexual behaviors, but it also is based on a change in the nature of adolescence. These changes begin with the decling of the average age of menarche. The average age for menarche in girls ten years ago was 14.2; this age has dropped by two years since then. The average age for menarche today is 12.2. This statistic suggests that since girls are capable of having children at younger ages they are also more apt to have sex at a younger age. The social changes that effect these statistics deal with the raising of the average age of marriage, standard attitudes towards marriage as a sacred institution, and economic shifts which have led to a need for longer educational careers. These changes have produced...
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...Babies having babies; Teen Pregnancy not just a personal issue but an economic one too Kaplan University Babies having babies, teen pregnancy It is 2014 and the advancement in technology far surpasses what we have ever thought possible yet no resounding solution exist that would help us get a handle on teen pregnancy. Pregnancy and diseases that accompany teen sex has become a serious problem having irreversible effects on our society and economy. Although there has been a recent decline in the past several years teen pregnancy continues to plague our younger generation with consequences that span almost every facet of our economy. Ultimately creating a negative cycle for teens. Society has become immune to 16 year olds having babies and the programs geared toward prevention have become ineffective. Teen pregnancy has become something American’s would rather not acknowledge. Making the United States number one in teen pregnancy worldwide. Government funded programs are only free to the non-taxpaying individuals receiving services yet never putting back into the system. Ultimately this becomes a burden for the hard working, tax paying citizens. Over seven million dollars are spent on program in an attempt to promote abstinence and safe sex amongst teens. Billions of federal dollars are allocated annually, providing assistance to teens who find themselves in the precarious situation of becoming a parent. “As we all know, teen pregnancy is exceedingly costly. It...
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..."If adolescent pregnancy prevention is to become a priority, then our strategy, as advocates, must contain two key elements: civic engagement and education"(Fonda Screen 1). In her book, Kids Having Kids, Maynard, encourages teenagers to wait until they are adults to have children. She explains in great detail, the cost and effects of having children at a young age. "Each year, about 1 million teenagers in the United States- approximately 10 percent of all 15-to- 19-year-old women become pregnant. Of these pregnancies only 13 percent are intended"(Maynard 1). This quote infers that teenagers are un aware of the consequences when having unprotected sex. "[Maynard argues] that the relevant one for assessing both the extent to which the teenage childbearing, per se, is the reason young mothers appear to fare so poorly over their subsequent lives and the source of the substantial costs government currently bears"(Maynard 53). There is a compelling statistical association between the age at which a woman has her first...
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...Teen pregnancy and resulting births pose many societal challenges, and as a result require the collective efforts of many to provide solutions. Teen pregnancy has been considered a "social ill" for centuries in the United States and has always challenged moral and ethical sensibilities. The economic costs of teens giving birth are significant, and there are many compelling reasons to reduce the teen pregnancy. Research shows that reducing the number of births to teens and increasing the age at which a women gives birth yields significant cost savings for the public sector. Efforts to reduce teen pregnancy are mainly focused on prevention and sex education is a large part of the effort. Current sex education programs focus on two main strategies, they are: abstinence only education and abstinence plus education. Abstinence only teaches that abstaining from sexual activity is the only truly effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy. Abstinence plus education focuses on delaying the initiation of sexual activity and recommends the use of contraception if a teen is sexually active. The success of abstinence only education has been exaggerated according to many sociologists and researchers. Scientific research indicates that abstinence plus education is actually much more effective in preventing teen pregnancy. Solving the problem of teen pregnancy has largely been relegating to treating the symptoms of the problem and employing prevention strategies aimed at young women. Sociologists...
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...government support by allowing recipients to remain on the system indefinitely and receive. Some feel that welfare is necessary to help those who cannot help themselves, to allow them a better quality of life with the main goal of assisting the children of needy parents. In 2008, FamilyFacts.org reported that $714 billion was spent on welfare. This included $42 billion for housing, $63 billion on food, $154 billion in cash aid, $372 billion in medical care, and $83 billion on other expenses. Many others feel that welfare distributes wealth to those who don’t earn it. To them, welfare encourages illegitimate births, the breakup of families, and discourages recipients from bettering themselves (Mankiw, p.429). Welfare provides the means for a lazy society that is dependent on hard working citizens for their support. Welfare provides the basic needs and allows for a better quality of live that protects the children from hunger and homelessness. The parents of these children often qualify because their income is at or below poverty level and they have met their state’s requirements to receive any benefits. But instead of the system being a temporary crutch, the system allows recipients to grow dependent on welfare and increases their incentive to continue participating in the program. Many recipients remain on benefits much longer than needed and continually engage in practices that keep them eligible. These, in turn, beget a cycle that children see their parents engaging in and therefore accept...
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...unanswered. The statistics every year shows the rate of teenage pregnancy and the number of teens having sex is escalating in the Caribbean. The percentage of births that take place during adolescence is about 18% in Latin America and the Caribbean (WHO, 2016). Conservatives normally believe that abstinence should be the only policy taught in schools, while liberals feel that statistics shows an increase in risky behaviour amongst teens indicates a need for sex education in the school system. The former Minister of Education Dr. Gopeesingh said, “More than 2, 500 teenage pregnancies...
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...Whether, I am a female or male will likely have a major influence on the development of my individual sexuality. Furthermore, sexuality is an integral part of our personalities whether we are aware of it or not. Although Human sexuality is a normal part of life and everyday development, there are several sides to human sexuality and how we behave as human beings. There is the impact on aging in sexuality, sex and violence, and sexuality (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2006). One of the historical events was the sexual revolution in American come of age in the late 1960s. The Playboy magazine became the most popular in America. Also in the 1960s sexual mores was upside-down. First was the technology of birth control. The birth control pill was perfected, for the first time giving women the freedom to engage in sexual relations without fear or get pregnant. At the same time, the Alfred Kinsey in 1948 promoted the idea that sexual infidelity and homosexuality were far more common than people had suspected (Macionis, 2010). Describe how society defines the social issue Human sexuality in sexuality has been a big controversy in the United States today. There are three key issues such...
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...TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN AMERICA: AND OTHER RELATED COMPLICATIONS Teenage Pregnancy in America: And Other Related Complications Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenager or underage girl (usually within the ages of 13–19) becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to women who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant (MedlinePlus 2008). Adolescent mothers are more numerous in western societies and especially in the United States. Today, young people are sexually active at an earlier age compare to the previous generation, and there are several associated consequences. Sexual activity among adolescents is often associated with unprotected sex or use of ineffective methods of contraception. A large proportion of adolescents are suffering from sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) and girls become pregnant and young mothers. Given the increase in teenage pregnancies and the consequences on the quality of life of the young people, an intervention, is needed starting in the middle schools. According to a study done in late 2009 by the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), a pro-choice organization, nationwide, teenage pregnancy rate was 71.5 pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 13 to 19 (Huffington Post 2010). Before intervention, however, it is essential to understand the factors underlying the premature and unprotected sex leading to unwanted pregnancies and STDs among adolescents. These risk factors include individual characteristics...
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...were performed on unmarried women. The reasons vary on why a women chooses abortion over birth. From having unprotected sex, failure of birth control and even rape are to name but a few. Either way, the birth of a child comes with lifelong responsibilities and affects both mother and child (Abort 73.com, 2009). Regardless of the reasons for choosing abortion, it comes down to having the freedom to choose what happens to our bodies. It is our bodies that will be subjected to the changes pregnancy brings as well as the risks. It is our finances that will support that child throughout its life. It is our maternal skills that will raise that child to be a caring, valuable member of society. Members of congress or pro-life advocates are not going to come to our homes and do these things for us so therefore, it has to be our choice to control whether we proceed with or terminate a pregnancy. If termination is our choice then we should have access to that option in a clean, safe environment. With over one million women choosing abortion over giving birth, lends to the supporting evidence in favor of right to choose arguments. Women should not be dictated to by laws of government or religious ideology in regards to their own bodies. They should retain control and be free to exercise their freedom of choice. Pregnancy can be a wonderful thing when both parents are ready mentally, emotionally and financially to take on this lifetime responsibility. Unplanned pregnancy is a completely different...
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...Everything changes as time goes by. One major thing that has changed in particular is family structure. From the way children are being raised, to higher divorce rates, and teen pregnancy. These are all factors that have immensely changed over time, more for the worse than better. Introduction There have been many changes in families since the 1960’s to today. In this paper I will discuss some of the numerous drastic changes that have occurred, and the impact this has. I will also be discussing how families are weaker but also ways we could prevent this from continuing happening. Changes in Families since the 1960’s One major change that there has been in families is that more women have careers now. In the 60’s it was not a common thing for a women to have a job, let alone a career. The role that women played was to stay home with the children, cook, and clean. The women that had careers usually were the ones that did not have families, and this was extremely uncommon. Educated women was a very rare thing to come across. Men were the ones that made the money and supported the family. That has drastically changed since then. In 2010, more American women were employed than men (Castelloe). Women working and having careers is much more accepted in society nowadays. Women may work now for different reasons; the passion they feel for the job, or they need to help financially support their family. Another change that has happened to families since the 60’s is family size. The...
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...Teen Pregnancy—A Social Issue After researching various statistics, I found that premarital pregnancy is quite prevalent in teenagers throughout the world. Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences a young person might ever face when it interrupts school or other plans. It can create an emotional crisis resulting in feelings of shame and fear, and it may appear that you will crumble under pressures in your environment. The stress of how one would break the news to their parents might be even greater, and finding help may seem an impossible task. People might think that they can help others, or one might be too embarrassed to search for help. For the most part, when one sees teenagers raising children, we often think that the teen has been raped or is too mature for their age. For this reason, some totally miss the issues that one must have been exposed to in their society, the society of their home, community, school. There are many viewpoints as to why teenage females are having so many children out of wedlock. However, the facts are obvious—teenaged females are highly influenced by many social issues, but those with the lack of strong parental guidance, sex education, and positive mass media are more likely to have a premarital pregnancy. As one travels the globe, they will find that industrialized and developing countries have distinctly different rates of teenage pregnancy. In the online article, “Teen Pregnancy on the Rise,” Sipokazi Maposa says that in developed...
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...Birth Control: Availability to Teens. Many teenagers today are very sexually active and take the risk that comes with sexual intercourse. Education is our number once source in getting sexual information out to our teens: “We have got to start educating our teenagers by introducing the ABC's for sexual education. "A-abstinence; B-be faithful; C-latex condoms." (Rosenthal 113). A type of contraceptive, also called birth control, is to do just that: control birth. Teen and teen births are greatly rising over the years due to lack of education, contraceptives, and finances. Teenagers now days do not wait till a certain age to become sexually active, more and more teens are starting at a younger age. Whether they are having sex or engaging in another form of sexual activity. “The principle behind age-of-consent law is that teens below a certain age are not mature enough to make an intelligent decision about engaging in sexual activity. Twenty-six states set the age of consent for medical making decisions at twelve years of age, yet no state sets the age sexual consent at less than sixteen. Some states provide no provisions for sexual relations between teens of the same age, provided that they are older than twelve, but there is always a penalty if one of the partners is a certain number of years older. Teens are no better prepared to make decisions about their medical health; so then the school or other public authority should inform the parents. Supporters of the lower age...
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...education in preventing teen pregnancy Anamika Laddha Chamberlain University Abstinence only versus Sex education in preventing teen pregnancy Introduction United States has the highest level of teenage pregnancy amongst the industrialized nations – nine times as high as Netherlands or Japan, twice as high as England and Wales or Canada. Over eight hundred thousand teenage girls get pregnant each year, most unintentionally (The Alan Guttmacher Institue, 2000). Four out of ten young women become pregnant at least once before age 20. Moe than 80% of these pregnancies are to unmarried teens (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004). Teenage pregnancy usually refers to girls who have not reached legal adulthood. World Health Organization defines Teenage Pregnancy as “any pregnancy from a girl who is 10-19 years of age,” the age being defined as her age at the time the baby is born. It is not limited to any social, economic, racial or ethnic groups. It is a serious issue that has effect on all of us and should be a concern from obstetric and socio-economical point of views. Factors Contributing to Teen Pregnancy The reasons behind teen pregnancy are complex, varied, and typically interconnected. As Sisson (2012) points out that teen pregnancy should not be looked as isolated issue and it must be understood within context of social complexities and inequities all of which needs to be effectively addressed in order to be one step closer to offer our teens better life. The...
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