All societies possess social standards that control the sequence and the tempo of important life occurrences. Frank Furstenberg in, Unplanned Parenthood introduces this notion of social standards through what he terms the normative schedule. According to Furstenberg normative schedules are, "prescribed life courses, it is the timing of life events"(Furstenberg pg.2). Normative schedules vary from society to society. They are precise structures imposed by cultural rules and by social constraints. Through normative schedules public as well as private experiences are 'scheduled' or structured to occur at a specific time and in specific circumstances.
             The scheduling of parenthood, a private behavior, is subject to a society's normative schedule. When and under what circumstances vary from one culture to another, but no society leaves it purely to biological chance. Furstenberg's normative schedules are direct results of the cultural restrictions on life that Herbert Blumer explores in his book, Society as Symbolic Interaction. According to Blumer, "social theorists have long recognized the universal existence of cultural restrictions on reproduction" (Blumer pg.50). A culture's restrictions on reproduction allow for the creation of parental normative schedules. In most societies where the normative schedule is followed, individuals are allowed to experience certain behaviors, such as parenting, through the private realm as long as the 'norm' of the system is not disrupted. According to Furstenberg, "schedule disruptions are usually disadvantageous"(Furstenberg pg4). This is because cultural standards are arranged in such a fixed position that any disturbance such as teen pregnancy creates an imbalance in the 'natural' benefits of operating within the system.
             Teen mothers operate outside of their allowable, private, discourse in the normative schedule, thus creating an imbalance in the culture. Normative schedules dictate individu...