There is a huge difference between a single mother, and a widowed mother. The main one is, the father, though absent, is heroically praised and brought up to the child. The child of a deceased man, is told of how proud their father would be, or how ashamed he may become depending on circumstances. The child gets to look at pictures of him, is told stories of how the mother met him. Is constantly amazed at how many people loved their father. Contrast that with the single mother, that will replace the guy as quickly and as often as needed. Who tears apart his personality and pictures with equal ferocity. Who is frankly embarrassed or ashamed, and passes that guilt on to the child. Between deadbeat sugar daddy or hook up artiste, and dead soldier, fireman, or cop, no comparison.
Yes and no. There have always been disappearing dads, deadbeat dads, etc. But once upon a time, the woman had the child, and hopefully, was helped by her family or her church and then sometimes would later marry. But at any rate, she had a child, if nothing else.
Now women are pushed into abortion and they never even have a child to show for the “relationship.” Even though the child might have been the only good thing they got out of it...
So we have two problems that are almost in conflict. One is the fact that fatherlessness is now considered almost the norm for children, and the other is that women (and this is not only women in a transient “relationship,” but sometimes even married women) are actively discouraged from having the child by everybody from the child’s father to the woman’s own parents.