“YES I’M YOUNG, YES THIS IS MY KID, AND YES I’M NOT MARRIED”: EXPLORATIONS OF YOUNG, UNWED, MALAY, SINGLE MOTHERS IN ‘DOING FAMILY’

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of the experiences of young, unwed, Malay, single mothers in navigating motherhood and family responsibilities. Through in-depth interviews of five young, unwed, Malay, single mothers, the perspectives of the women in “doing family”, the challenges they face, and the strategies they adopt to address these challenges are presented. Findings of this study show that the child is of utmost priority for these women and that they turn to who they consider family to see to the needs of the child. First-hand narratives of the research participants will be useful for policymaking in areas in which these mothers are disadvantaged.