Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-195) and index.

"Teen childbearing has risen to frighteningly high levels over the last four decades, jeopardizing the life chances of young parents and their offspring alike, particularly among minority communities. Or at least, that's what politicians on the right and left often tell us, and what the American public largely believes. But sociologist Frank Furstenberg argues that the conventional wisdom distorts reality. In Destinies of the Disadvantaged, Furstenberg traces tile history of public concern over teen pregnancy, exploring why this topic has become so politically powerful, and so misunderstood." "Destinies of the Disadvantaged relates how the issue emerged from obscurity to become one of the most heated social controversies in America. Both slipshod research by social scientists and opportunistic grandstanding by politicians have contributed to public misunderstanding of the issue. Although out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy rose notably between 1960 and 1990-a cause for concern given the burdens of single motherhone at a young age - this trend did not reflect a rise in the rate of overall teen pregnancies. In fact, teen pregnancy actually declined dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s." "Addressing teen pregnancy was originally aliberal cause, led by advocates of family planning services, legalized abortion, and social welfare programs for single mothers, The issue was later adopted by conservatives, who argued that those Iiberal remedies were encouraging teen parenthood. According to Furstenberg, the flexible political usefulness of the issue explains its held on political discourse. The politics of teen parenthood is a fascinating case study in the abuse of social science for political ends. In Destinies of the Disadvantaged, Furstenberg brings that tale to life with the perspective of ahistorian and the insight of an insider, and provides the straight facts needed to craft effective policies to address teen pregnancy."--Jacket.

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