Family Policy,Welfare, and Single Motherhood in the United States and Denmark: A Cross-National Analysis of Discourse and Practice

Family and child care policies in the United States and Denmark are discussed. Key issues in the article address the contrasting discourses that frame policies about the poor, about women and welfare, about single motherhood, and about the role and responsibility of government in providing for the welfare of children. The dismantling of entitlements and the shredding of the safety net in the United States is critically analyzed and contrasted with the Danish discourse of universalism and social citizenship rights.