การตัดสินใจดำรงครรภ์และการปรับตัวของมารดานอกสมรสในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร / ภาสนันทน์ อัศวรักษ์ = The decision to keep the babies and the adjustment process of unmarried mothers in Bangkok Metropolis / Passanan Assavarak
To study factors supporting unmarried mothers decision to have babies, to understand the world of unmarried mothers according to their own points of view, and at the same time, to oppose stereotypes of society holding the view that unmarried mothers are bad, light-hearted or are made pregnant, which is the way society attributes unfaithfulness to unmarried mothers, and, through unmarried mothers' perception, take in to consideration their adjustment and dealing with social condition and the culture of latent sexual value. The studied subjects were unmarried mothers who were over 5 months pregnant and those who were living in Don Muang Emergency House as well as in House for Children and Family in Rajathewi, Bangkok after having given birth. Both quantitative data and qualitative data were collected in 2 years, the former by means of questionnaires and secondary data, and the later by participant observation, in-depth interview and life history. The result of the research shows that factors influencing the decision of unmarried mothers are the ties of affection between mothers and the baby in the womb, morality, and good relationship among people living in the same family, whereas factors of no influence are economic condition and social services. In terms of adjustment process, Heyn's concept was applies in analysis of unmarried mothers. It is found that unmarried mothers's experiences cause strain and pent-up anger. Therefore, unmarried mothers try to find ways to get rid of problems in order to relieve strain and pent-up anger. Once they were successful, their success would bring them the satisfaction of their own status, their self-respect, firm attitude as well as the ability of self adjustment to proper motherhood. Moreover, unmarried mothers began to hold that they and people around them were all the more acceptable. This resulted in the creation of sub-culture in groups of unmarried mothers, which will enable them to have more positive attitude towards themselves and other people as well.