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Journal of Health Psychology
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`Breaking the Cycle'

Constructing Intergenerational Explanations for Disadvantage

Mary Breheny

Massey University, New Zealand, M.R.Breheny{at}massey.ac.nz

Christine Stephens

Massey University, New Zealand

Intergenerational explanations are widely available to account for poor health and social outcomes such as those associated with teenage motherhood. Within these explanations, medical journals represent authoritative voices that shape understandings of disadvantage. Teenage motherhood was understood through the metaphor of a `cycle of disadvantage' within this medical literature. Disadvantage is constructed as the result of poor individual choice or family deviance, and the role of the individual and the family in transmitting disadvantage is highlighted. Suggestions for health interventions consequently focus on identifying deviant individuals and families, rather than on ways to address the social context of disadvantage.

Key Words: deprivation • family • individualism • social exclusion • teenage mothers

Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 13, No. 6, 754-763 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1359105308093859
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?