Choosing between Alternatives: Lived Experiences of Women Heading Mother-Only Families in Spain

I propose a small-scale qualitative study based on focus groups conducted with 22 women heading mother-only families (solo mothers) in Spain. I apply the Capabilities Approach as an analytical framework with the aim of understanding (a) the extent to which the resources available to solo mothers support their capability to form and maintain an autonomous household in a valued way; and (b) which aspects act as conversion factors deforming their freedom to choose how to balance their kin responsibilities. Single-headed households, 85% of which are headed by women, are at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion compared to other household types. For them, time allocation is more challenging as they lack intra-family division of kin responsibilities. Therefore, understanding solo mothers’ coping strategies is crucial. It allows us to comprehend how multiple inequalities influence women’s choices and their quality of life and to make a step forward in incorporating a ‘reproductive-care’ perspective within the socioeconomic system. Preliminary findings suggest that resources available to solo mothers should also be viewed as conversion factors. In certain circumstances, rather than supporting their capability to form and maintain an autonomous household, these resources seem to have intrinsic characteristics that hinder how solo mothers access and use them. Policy plays a dual role in this context. It represents an important resource for times of financial hardship, while also being perceived as a regulatory mechanism intended to mitigate the effects of conversion factors on solo mothers. In this latter case, however, it can also act as a conversion factor as it appears embedded in cultural values that consider solo mothers individually responsible for their situation of vulnerability. Consequently, the focus of both rhetoric and practice tends to promote solo mothers’ economic independence through employment, overlooking their roles as unique carers for their families.