What does Silva (1996) argue about media-fuelled concerns over lone mothers?

What does Silva (1996) argue about media-fuelled concerns over lone mothers?

• A. They reflect genuine welfare concerns
• B. They are patriarchal attempts to push women back into traditional roles and undermine gender equality
• C. They have no impact on gender equality
• D. They support women's independence

Answer: (B)

Mindset and power in discourse about family forms is the focus here. Silva argues that media alarms about lone mothers aren’t objective welfare concerns but a patriarchal strategy to tighten control over women’s lives. By repeatedly portraying single mothers as a social problem, the media helps push women back toward traditional, male-as-head-of-household roles and the idea that women’s primary duty is domestic care within the conventional family. This framing reinforces gender inequality by naturalizing standard gender roles and justifying policies that restrict women’s independence and access to support. In this view, the concerns serve to uphold existing power relations rather than address genuine social needs. The other interpretations miss this point: the concerns aren’t simply about welfare needs, they do influence gender relations, and they do not promote women’s independence.