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Julie Wallbank, "An Unlikely Match? Foucault and the Lone Mother", Law and Critique IX/1 (1998), 59-88: This article is concerned with evaluating the usefulness of Foucault's discourse theory in relation to the study of how lone mothers might make sense of and negotiate their lives within and through the network of power relations as disseminated through discourse. I argue that despite its strident critics, Foucauldian analysis is politically relevant and has utility for feminism in that it allows for small scale, in depth consideration of discourse, power relations and the subject. I consider some of the contemporary discourses surrounding one case in particular, that of Heidi Colwell, who had left her two year old daughter "home alone" whilst she went to work each day. I reveal the complexity and diversity of the relations between the lone mother and the discourses that constitute her. The latter part of the article examines the contemporary political significance of needs discourse and argues that the quantitative framework of needs interpretation is inadequate to address the needs of lone mothers. The article concludes by advocating for reform of social policy and family law so that the needs of lone mothers and their children are taken into consideration and responded to in a way that is more beneficial to women and their families. email: j.wallbank@la.ac.uk

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