1. Defining the problems of "dependent motherhood" -- 2. The structure of public provision : gender and race in Chicago's welfare system -- 3. Gender and social policy : the origins of mothers' pension policy in Illinois -- 4. The politics of welfare reform -- 5. The economies of mothers' pensions
Summary
The first study to explore the origins of welfare in the context of local politics, this book examines the first public welfare policy created specifically for mother-only families. Chicago initiated the largest mothers' pension program in the United States in 1911. Evolving alongside movements for industrial justice and women's suffrage, the mothers' pension movement hoped to provide ""justice for mothers"" and protection from life's insecurities. However, local politics and public finance derailed the policy, and most women were required to earn. Widows were more likely to receive pensi
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-277) and index