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.

The Challenges of Idealized Mothering

Affilia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Keefe ◽  
Carol Brownstein-Evans ◽  
Rebecca S. Rouland Polmanteer
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
New Mothers ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Good Mother ◽  
White Mothers ◽  
Feminist Perspectives ◽  
Mothers Of Color ◽  
Low Income Mothers

Being a good mother is the highest calling for many women. However, the demands of being a “good mother” can be stressful, especially during pregnancy and the first 2 years postpartum. For many low-income mothers from marginalized groups facing multiple responsibilities with limited resources, the stress of new mothering can lead to postpartum depression (PPD). Although PPD affects roughly 12% of all white mothers, at least 3 times as many mothers of color (38%) have been found to experience PPD. In this study, 30 low-income mothers of color with histories of PPD were interviewed about how they viewed being a good mother while living with PPD. Their views of “good mother” emerged during the interviews, which uncovered four major themes: being strong mothers, juggling responsibilities, being self-sustaining, and taking care of self. Using these themes and drawing on research on mothering informed by feminist perspectives, this article examines how the mothers strive to be good mothers while coping with PPD. Social workers working with new mothers of color who have PPD can benefit from understanding these mothers’ experiences with PPD while striving to achieve well-being for themselves and for their children.

The Normative Nature of Depression Among Impoverished Mothers of Color: “. . .going around this big old circle . . . it always remain the same”

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Keefe ◽  
Rebecca S. Rouland ◽  
Sandra D. Lane ◽  
Carol Brownstein-Evans ◽  
Christopher R. Larrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relationship Violence ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Health Gap ◽  
Mothers Of Color ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
High Crime

Perinatal depression among impoverished mothers adds an enormous burden to their family responsibilities, which are often further stressed by living in high-crime communities. Thirty impoverished mothers of color living with depression were interviewed about the difficulties they face raising their children. Qualitative interviews about living with depression revealed four themes: recognizing their own depression, feeling isolated, experiencing violence, and living with depression. This article examines how neighborhood and relationship violence, intermittently involved fathers, and isolation contribute to the mothers’ depression. Social workers working with depressed, low-income mothers of color can benefit from understanding the mothers’ lived experience and the barriers the mothers face while trying to achieve well-being for themselves and their children. This study fits within the “Close the Health Gap” area of the Grand Challenges for Social Work.

“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.

scholarly journals “It's Hard Being a Mama”: Validation of the Maternal Distress Concept in Becoming a Mother

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-42
Author(s):  
Debra Beach Copeland ◽  
Bonnie Lee Harbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Maternal Distress ◽  
Stress Adaptation ◽  
New Mothers ◽  
Early Parenthood ◽  
Early Parenting ◽  
Becoming A Mother ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Mothering Role

New mothers actively adapt to new demands and challenges in the mothering role but some may find this adjustment difficult and distressing, depending on their perceptions and resources. Previous research on maternal distress is primarily concentrated on needs of mothers with depression but nonpathological approaches of viewing difficulties in early parenting should be explored. A secondary analysis of a descriptive, qualitative study was completed on new, low-income mothers in early parenthood to determine how maternal distress influences mothers' transition to becoming a mother and to validate the use of the Maternal Distress Concept in the clinical setting. Findings reveal new mothers experience maternal distress on various levels: stress, adaptation, functioning, and connecting. Implications for practice and education are discussed.

Association Between Diabetes and Perinatal Depression Among Low-Income Mothers

2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
pp. 441-443
Author(s):  
Katy Backes Kozhimannil ◽  
Mark A. Pereira ◽  
Bernard L. Harlow
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Perinatal Depression ◽  
Low Income Mothers

Perspectives on good mothering from low-income mothers of color with maternal depression

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-285
Author(s):  
Robert H. Keefe ◽  
Carol Brownstein-Evans ◽  
Rebecca S. Rouland Polmanteer
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mothers Of Color ◽  
Low Income Mothers

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 The False and the Furious

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 164-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Seals Allers
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Current System ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
New Mothers ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Source Of Information

Social media has become an important source of information for new mothers. Many seek out information on breastfeeding. This is particularly true for low-income mothers who may not have paid access to credible news sources or to evidence-based journals. This may also perpetuate racial disparities in breastfeeding. Negative social media campaigns have highlighted the “dangers” of breastfeeding and used extremist language to brand breastfeeding supporters. This article suggests some specific strategies for addressing gaps in our current system and countering the negative information. Breastfeeding should be framed as a reproductive right.

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