I would have loved to have a much more normal life with a partner and a couple of kids, but that was not an option that ever came for me. 1 This book has explored the conditions under which women undertake and execute a decision to parent without a partner and without the genetic father. In our introductory chapter, we posed several questions, including whether this choice is now just one of various lifestyle options; whether a woman's choice is supported by the state and society; whether children are served well by this choice; the extent to which any single mothering can be truly "autonomous"; and, finally, whether single mothers by choice are, per se, transgressive. We also complicated the concept of "choice" by identifying the numerous factors that can constrain and shape women's choices, including familial and heterosexual ideologies, as well as economic difficulties. In addition, we explored the concept of relational autonomy in order to distance our analysis from a liberal individualist concept of autonomy and to highlight the extent to which all individuals are almost inevitably reliant on relationships. These relationships may be with family members, with other individuals such as friends, with state officials, or with social networks. They can be positive or negative in their impact on the individuals involved.While our book has focused on motherhood, it is clear that the ability of children to thrive and develop is especially dependent on positive relationships with the adults in their lives and the quality of support in

scihub/10.3138/9781442619098-009.pdf

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