TY  - BOOK
AU  - Rattigan,Clíona
TI  - What else could I do?: single mothers and infanticide, Ireland 1900-1950 
T2  - New directions in Irish history
SN  - 9780716531401 (Paper)
U1  - 364.374 RAT 
PY  - 2012///
CY  - Dublin, Portland, OR
PB  - Irish Academic Press
KW  - Infanticide
KW  - history
KW  - Ireland
KW  - legislation & jurisprudence
KW  - History, 20th Century
KW  - Single Person
KW  - Women
KW  - History
KW  - 20th century
N1  - Includes bibliographical references (p. [257]-[268]) and index
N2  - This book explores the history of single mothers and infanticide in Ireland over a 50 year period. Based primarily on underused archival material from the Central Criminal Court in the National Archives of Ireland, \'What Else Could I Do?\' provides a detailed analysis of the diverse experiences of unmarried mothers who faced criminal charges because they were suspected of having committed infanticide. Although statistics relating to female perpetrators of serious forms of crime are examined, the history of single women who killed their illegitimate infants cannot be understood through official numbers alone. The book undertakes a detailed case-by-case analysis of the records of over 300 infanticide cases tried in Ireland - both North and South - during the first half of the 20th century. This timely study will make an important contribution to historical scholarship and adds considerably to existing knowledge of female criminal behavior in Ireland. It is also a major contribution to the historical understanding of gender relations, class, sexuality, and family life--Publisher
ER  -