“Why Don’t They Just Use Cloth?” Gender Policy Vacuums and the Inequalities of Diapering

2022 ◽  
pp. 089124322110679
Author(s):  
Jennifer Randles
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Gender Policy ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Bank Staff ◽  
The Social ◽  
Feminist Theories ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Policy Vacuums ◽  
Diaper Need

Drawing on feminist theories of parenting and the welfare state, I analyze experiences of diaper need as a case of how gender, class, and race inequalities shape the social organization of caregiving and limited policy responses. Data from in-depth interviews with 70 mothers who experienced diaper need and 40 diaper bank staff revealed obstacles low-income mothers face in managing lack of access to children’s basic needs and how gendered assumptions of parental responsibility thwart public diaper support efforts. I use this case to theorize gender policy vacuums: These occur when gender disparities and ideologies prevent systematic responses to structural problems. Empirically this study contributes to understandings of diaper need as a problem of the gender structure that cannot be solved with alternative diapering methods that assume middle-class, white, androcentric privileges. Theoretically it illuminates key mechanisms by which feminized care labor is devalued and rendered invisible and how this erasure rationalizes lack of redress for gendered inequalities and creates policy gaps around caregiving.

scholarly journals “And You're Telling Me Not to Stress?” a Grounded Theory Study of Postpartum Depression Symptoms among Low-Income Mothers

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura S. Abrams ◽  
Laura Curran
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Theory Analysis ◽  
The Core ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Feeling Overwhelmed ◽  
Depth Interviews

Low-income mothers in the U.S. are more likely to experience postpartum depression (PPD) and less likely to seek treatment than their middle-class counterparts. Despite this knowledge, prior research has not provided an in-depth understanding of PPD symptoms as they are experienced by low-income mothers. Through in-depth interviews, this study investigated low-income mothers' ( n = 19) experiences and explanatory frameworks for their PPD symptoms. Grounded theory analysis uncovered five main categories that linked the participants' PPD symptoms to their lived experiences of mothering in poverty, including: (1) ambivalence, (2) caregiving overload, (3) juggling, (4) mothering alone, and (5) real-life worry. The analysis further located the core experience of PPD for low-income mothers as “feeling overwhelmed” due to mothering in materially and socially stressful conditions. These findings challenge the prevailing biomedical discourse surrounding PPD and situate mothers' symptoms in the context of the material hardships associated with living in poverty.

“Chocolate City, Rest in Peace”: White Space–Claiming and the Exclusion of Black People in Washington, DC

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 746-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Suppan Helmuth
Keyword(s):  
Historically Black ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Black People ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
The Social ◽  
Black Residents ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Depth Interviews

Urban sociologists and gentrification scholars have long been interested in examining the combination of structural and micro–level forces that result in the displacement and exclusion of low–income residents from changing neighborhoods. However, the types of everyday activities and the social and spatial practices that exclude residents who remain in these neighborhoods are an understudied part of the gentrification story. How are exclusive spaces created? What are the specific social processes that lead to exclusive space? I draw on in–depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork to examine how white residents in a historically black neighborhood claim space through their everyday actions and interactions. These space–claiming practices are at times subtle and at times overt, but often draw on a repertoire of physical, mental, and social practices that combine to create spaces that exclude black people—including long–term black residents, black gentrifiers, and black visitors to the neighborhood—from public space.

scholarly journals Social Contexts of Infant Feeding and Infant Feeding Decisions

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen J. Schafer ◽  
Natalie A. Williams ◽  
Siri Digney ◽  
Marion E. Hare ◽  
Sato Ashida
Keyword(s):  
Infant Feeding ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Network Member ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Infant Feeding Decisions

Background: Infant feeding takes place within a network of social relationships. However, the social context in which infant feeding advice is received remains underresearched. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the social contexts of infant feeding by examining individual and relationship characteristics of mothers and network members associated with advice to exclusively breastfeed, exclusively formula feed, or use a combination of breast milk and formula. Methods: Information about 287 network members was reported by 80 low-income mothers during a one-time survey. Characteristics of relationships associated with mothers receiving advice (exclusively breastfeed/formula feed, combination feed) from each network member were identified using 2-level logistic regression analyses. Results: Mothers had greater odds of receiving advice to exclusively breastfeed from network members who help make feeding decisions (odds ratio [OR], 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-4.42), exclusively breastfed their own child or children (OR, 6.99; 95% CI, 2.96-16.51), and were health care providers (OR, 4.82; 95% CI, 1.70-13.67). Mothers had greater odds of receiving advice to breastfeed in combination with formula from network members who provided emotional support (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.31-4.55), combination fed their own child or children (OR, 4.85; 95% CI, 1.80-13.05), and had an opinion that was important to the mother (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.13-6.33). Mothers had greater odds of receiving advice to exclusively formula feed from network members who exclusively formula fed their own child or children (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.07-4.66) than those who did not. Conclusion: Social relationship characteristics and network members’ infant feeding experiences may have implications for the advice new mothers receive. Future research should investigate social contexts of infant feeding longitudinally to inform interventions.

scholarly journals Barriers to School-Based Parent Involvement While Living in Public Housing: A Mother’s Perspective

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lechuga-Peña ◽  
Daniel Brisson
Keyword(s):  
Parent Involvement ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
School Involvement ◽  
Language Differences ◽  
Positive Behaviors ◽  
School Based ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Depth Interviews

Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from mothers participating in a community-based program offered in a large public housing neighborhood. Findings included three main barriers: (a) cultural and language differences in their children’s school, (b) undertones of racism from teachers and parents, and (c) being the primary caregiver or sole provider for their children. Although all parents experience challenges to school involvement, low-income mothers face additional obstacles preventing them from engaging in their children’s schools. This perceived lack of school involvement can lead to feelings of helplessness, shame, and stigma.

scholarly journals "I Gotta Carry The Burden By Myself"

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-198
Author(s):  
Robert H. Keefe ◽  
Rebecca Rouland ◽  
Sandra D. Lane ◽  
Audrey Howard ◽  
Carol Brownstein-Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Perinatal Depression ◽  
New Mothers ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Time To Build ◽  
Prevalence Estimates ◽  
Mothers Of Color ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
High Crime ◽  
Depth Interviews

Despite prevalence estimates indicating that upwards to 38% of new mothers of color will experience perinatal depression, little research has been published that investigates how they cope with the stressors in their daily lives. This article presents the findings of semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 low-income new mothers of color about parenting their children despite the burden of ongoing depression. Narrative analyses revealed three themes: feeling alone, isolated, and overwhelmed; feeling misunderstood, betrayed, and judged by others; and having to carry their burden alone. Despite having depression, the mothers spoke of ways they were able to persevere even with the enormous burden of raising their children while living in high-crime, low-income neighborhoods. Recommendations include the need for social workers to recognize low-income mothers’ inner strengths; recognize why mothers may not trust professionals to be of help; and take the time to build strong therapeutic relationships with mothers who perceive their families, friends, partners, and often social service professionals as being of little help.

Palestinian mothers in Israel: Can a welfare-to-work program enhance their social capital?

2020 ◽  
pp. 001139212092774
Author(s):  
Anat Herbst-Debby ◽  
Maha Sabbah-Karkabi ◽  
Tal Meler
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Welfare To Work ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Work Program ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Work First ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Meaningful Role

This study analyzes the experience of Palestinian mothers in Israel participating in a non-mandatory welfare-to-work program. The goal is to explore the perceptions of these women and their trainers about the ways the program helps enhance the mothers’ social capital. The study is based on in-depth interviews of 30 mothers and three trainers who participated in the program. The findings expose a range of mothers’ voices. The three main ones are: encouraging empowerment more than Work First; encouraging ‘maternal’ jobs; and encouraging partnership and group cohesion. The combined voices of participants and trainers deepen the significance of these findings, as the latter play a meaningful role in enhancing the social capital and networking capabilities of the former, who suffer from multiple sources of exclusion, including a vulnerable ethno-national status, poverty, low income and gender.

scholarly journals Between Money and Love: Work-family Conflict Among Swedish Low-income Single Mothers

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Roman
Keyword(s):  
Single Mothers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Depth Interviews

Research suggests that single mothers are an increasingly vulnerable group in Scandinavia. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this study takes a closer look at challenges faced by Swedish working-class and low-income single mothers. It explores how working conditions and economic resources influence their access to valued practices, such as the possibility to reconcile paid work and family commitments. It is assumed that discrepancies between mothers’ notions of good mothering and their ability to act in accordance with these values give rise to conflicts and dilemmas. Findings show that lack of financial resources and low control over their work situation significantly limited the mothers’ possibility to combine various responsibilities and to practice the kind of mothering they preferred. Furthermore, the opening hours of preschools frequently did not match the mothers’ working schedules, and they could often not effectively benefit from some of the social rights granted by the Swedish welfare state.

‘‘I Just Need a Job!’’ Behavioral Solutions, Structural Problems, and the Hidden Curriculum of Parenting Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 326-345
Author(s):  
Maia Cucchiara ◽  
Erin Cassar ◽  
Monica Clark
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Hidden Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parenting Education ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Private Funding ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Low Income Mothers

Parenting education programs aim to teach parents, often low-income mothers, a set of skills, behaviors, and attitudes believed to promote improved opportunities for their children. Parenting programs are often offered in schools, with instructors teaching pregnant or parenting teens about child development, attachment, and discipline strategies. Despite the large numbers of participants and significant public and private funding going to parenting education, sociologists of education in the United States have paid little attention to the topic. Existing research, by scholars in other disciplines, has found parenting education to be a relatively weak intervention. Yet this research focuses exclusively on individual-level processes, paying little attention to social context or other factors. This study uses extensive observational and interview data from parenting education programs in two schools and one social service organization to examine what is taught, what is not, and the intersections between program content and the structural realities shaping parents’ lives. The results show that although they were designed for low-income mothers, the classes were silent on the issue of poverty, treating poverty-related concerns as irrelevant to the task of parenting. Furthermore, when such topics did emerge, instructors redirected the conversations to personal behaviors and characteristics. Thus, the ‘‘hidden curriculum’’ of parenting education conveyed the message that good parenting should be unaffected by the challenges of poverty. The mothers, however, struggled to provide for their children in conditions of extreme scarcity, making it difficult for them to focus on other parenting issues.

scholarly journals The Impact of Z-Mart BAZNAS Program on Community Welfare Enhancement

2019 ◽  
pp. 160-167
Author(s):  
Yulya Srinovita ◽  
Deden Kuswandi ◽  
Budi Asmita ◽  
Fahrudin Fahrudin
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Economic Empowerment ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Social Return On Investment ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depth Interviews

The number of people living under poverty in Indonesia in 2017 is 38.4 million. There are many factors contributing to cause poverty, including economic factors. Low income causes them to be unable to fulfill daily needs. One of the instruments that can be used to overcome poverty and empower people is zakat. Utilization of Zakat funds and infaq for productive enterprises is one of the important and strategic agenda in economic empowerment. BAZNAS through the Lembaga Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Mustahik (Eng: the organization of beneficiary economical empowerment; abv. LPEM) encourages the strengthening of mustahik (Eng: beneficiary of zakat) economy through strengthening retail businesses in the form of stalls or called Z-Mart. This program intensively carries out coaching and mentoring so that the businesses run by the beneficiaries could run progressively. The target of this program is to encourage mustahik to transform into muzaki (Eng: zakat giver) with the standard had kifayah and SDGs in the 1st Goal (No Poverty) to reduce poverty. The purpose of this study was to observe the impact of the Z-Mart Program on improving the economy of the poor. This research was conducted in May 2019 in Bandung Region. The sample of this study were 21 Z-Mart Program Beneficiaries. Data was collected by in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) methods. The measurement of the impact of the Z-Mart program is carried out using the Social Return on Investment (SROI) method suggested by the SROI UK Network (Social Value International). The results showed that overall, since the implementation of the Z-Mart program, the SROI value was 0.91. This means that during 1 year of the program, every IDR 1 invested has benefit of IDR 0.91. This value shows that socially to return the value invested in the Z-Mart program takes more than 1 year. Nevertheless, the results of the study show that the Z-Mart program has succeeded in increasing Mustahik's welfare through increased income, decreased moneylender practices, and increased social attitudes with infaq (Eng: the practice of giving) and alms practices.

scholarly journals Expanding the Conceptualization of Support in Low-Wage Carework: The Case of Home Care Aides and Client Death

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 367
Author(s):  
Emma K. Tsui ◽  
Marita LaMonica ◽  
Maryam Hyder ◽  
Paul Landsbergis ◽  
Jennifer Zelnick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Home Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Feminist Theories ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Care Aides ◽  
Home Care Aides ◽  
Depth Interviews

Home care aides are a rapidly growing, non-standard workforce who face numerous health risks and stressors on the job. While research shows that aides receive limited support from their agency employers, few studies have explored the wider range of support that aides use when navigating work stress and considered the implications of these arrangements. To investigate this question, we conducted 47 in-depth interviews with 29 home care aides in New York City, focused specifically on aides’ use of support after client death. Theories of work stress, the social ecological framework, and feminist theories of care informed our research. Our analysis demonstrates aides’ extensive reliance on personal sources of support and explores the challenges this can create in their lives and work, and, potentially, for their communities. We also document aides’ efforts to cultivate support stemming from their home-based work environments. Home care aides’ work stress thus emerges as both an occupational health and a community health issue. While employers should carry responsibility for preventing and mitigating work stress, moving toward health equity for marginalized careworkers requires investing in policy-level and community-level supports to bolster employer efforts, particularly as the home care industry becomes increasingly fragmented and non-standard.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document