A lot of people think that's the main downfall in females — you know, teen parenting. You know, they think that's one of the worst things besides drugs and violence … I hated a lot of people stereotyping single Black moms to be, you know, high school dropouts: "Their kids ain't gonna' be nothing, she'll end up on welfare," and things like that. I think that was the worst thing … I felt like they were kind of wrong to, you know, to stereotype everyone. (Maxine, 18-year-old mother)
Teen mothers' unique perspectives on teen pregnancy can contribute much to our understanding of this issue, including family and individual experiences. In this article, teens' narratives provide insight into processes and contexts of family caregiving they received during their pregnancies as one type of resource they relied on to work toward a new and positive identity. Consistent with scholarship on identity construction, teenagers described their relationships with others as critical to this development, and attention to the processes of caregiving illuminates this connection. The stigmatized status of teen pregnancy, when viewed as a master narrative (such as that articulated by Maxine above), renders teenagers' own narratives a counter story that facilitates narrative repair. Analysis of teenagers' narratives illuminates how processes of identity transformation connect one to the care of others, empowering individuals to resist threats to a positive sense of self or a damaged identity (Nelson, 2001).
In their narratives, teenagers describe largely negative initial reactions to their pregnancies, both their own and those of the individuals closest to them. These negative reactions provide the initial context for identity change and are emphasized through themes of loss and struggle. Despite these initial reactions that cause disruptions to their lives and identities