Mavis Kirkham

Relationships: The hidden threads in the tapestry of maternity care

Institute of Health Research, Swansea University, Vivian Tower, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, UK University of Gothenburg, Box 457, Goteborg SE-405 30, Sweden Boras University College of Health Sciences, Boras S-501 90, Sweden Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, Eirberg, Eiriksgata 34, Reykjavik 101, Iceland Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University, 32 Collegiate Cres, Sheffield S10, UK Corresponding author. E-mail address: b.j.hunter@swan.ac.uk (B. Hunter).

Ethnicity, Policy and Teenage Parenthood in England: Findings from a Qualitative Study

Ethnicity and racialised identity have been salient themes in USA research and policy on teenage parenthood, in contrast with the UK context. This article presents findings from interviews with professionals in support services for young parents, with three main conclusions. Firstly, appropriate data collection systems are not in place to establish whether minority young parents face specific barriers in accessing services. Secondly, professionals’ accounts converge with young parents’ accounts, emphasising age rather than ethnicity as shaping patterns of identification and stigmatisation. Lastly, professional ‘ecologies of practice’ exist in some tension with the homogenising emphasis of UK national policy discourses.