‘Making It’ Versus Satisfaction: How Women Raising Young Children in Poverty Assess How Well They Are Doing

Abstract

Using in-depth interviews with 17 women raising young children in urban poverty, two separate standards were examined-"making it" and satisfaction. "Making it" referred to one's perceived ability to meet the basic physical needs of her children. In contrast, satisfaction referred to how closely one's current life circumstances align with her personal notions of success. Results indicated that self-expectations greatly influenced which standard individuals prioritized, such that those with higher expectations valued satisfaction while those with lower expectations prioritized "making it." Self-expectations aligned largely with one's poverty status, and women with the fewest economic resources typically expected the least for their lives. Findings from this study suggest that efforts to support women raising young children in poverty must address both standards if they are to be relevant, effective, and sustainable. Similarly, if individuals are to succeed in such interventions, they must be supported in developing higher expectations for their lives, given the role that expectations play in catalyzing one's sense of a life beyond survival. Future research and implications for theory and practice are outlined.

Living on the Edge: Access to Liquid Assets as a Determinant of Unmarried Urban Mothers' Life Satisfaction

“…Often individuals perceive income adequacy in relation to those around them at home, work, or school. Wright's (2013) qualitative study of life satisfaction among a sample of women raising children in poverty concluded that "social comparisons played a figural role for participants in determining how satisfied they were with their lives. In contemplating their level of satisfaction, participants were much more likely to reference their relative poverty" (p. 274).…”

The Biblical Perspective on the Roles of Fathers in Children’s Upbringing

“…Raising children is one of the most rewarding and difficult things that parents are likely to do in life (Burrows and Keenan 2004;Dye 1992;Wright 2013). And what makes it even harder is that they do not come with instructions.…”

Beauty in the Struggle: Poetry Found in the Lives of Mothers Experiencing Homelessness

“…As a graduate student at Harvard Graduate School of Education, I studied Human Development and Psychology in order to better understand how risk and resilience interact in the lives of women and children developing in poverty. My dissertation work examined how women raising young children in poverty decide for themselves how well they are doing (Wright ). Since then, I have served as a school‐based mental health counselor; I have worked in early childhood education policy in Washington, DC; and I have, as a faculty member, prepared educators who will be responsive to the concerns and needs of homeless children.…”