A Case Study of the Working Poor Single Mother Experience: An Analysis of the Structure versus Agency Discourse

Working poor single mothers must often make difficult choices as they negotiate structural forces such as the employment and legal arenas and social service agencies and address domestic duties to sustain their families. The structure versus agency discourse is used here as a theoretical backdrop to chronicle the experiences of one such family. Results from a case study analysis of a White, working poor, single mother of three identify specific structural constraints and corresponding decisions as well as ways in which strategically positioned social services and community organizations may assist such families in experiencing upward mobility.