Reclaiming Our Identities as Good Mothers:  Narratives of Mothers with Child Welfare Experience

Yoo, Hee-Jeong

Reclaiming Our Identities as Good Mothers: Narratives of Mothers with Child Welfare Experience

dc.contributor.advisor	Walsh, Christine Ann
dc.contributor.author	Yoo, Hee-Jeong
dc.contributor.committeemember	Badry, Dorothy Eleanor
dc.contributor.committeemember	Choate, Peter W.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Walsh, Christine Ann
dc.date	2018-11
dc.date.accessioned	2018-10-02T21:03:06Z
dc.date.available	2018-10-02T21:03:06Z
dc.date.issued	2018-09-14
dc.description.abstract	The predominant definition of motherhood in Canada, and Western Society, reflects the notion of intensive mothering, whereby mothers are expected to manage their responsibilities as the primary caregiver of their children and household, while maintaining employment outside of the home. This notion, based on a middle-class, Eurocentric construct leaves little consideration for the experiences of mothers from diverse socio-economic, and ethno-racial backgrounds. Mothers involved in child welfare for allegations of abuse are challenged with identifying with this definition of motherhood, as they face stigmatization by their communities and shame for their care of their children. Research affirms that mothers in child welfare are disproportionately younger, and of lower-economic status compared to the general population, in addition to having higher rates of homelessness, unemployment, and mental health concerns. My research question is: How do the narratives of mothers with child welfare involvement challenge good mothering ideology? This qualitative, exploratory study collaborates with three mothers in Calgary, Alberta, who, over the course of a series on in-depth interviews shared stories of the mothering they experienced in childhood, the challenges in their own mothering which resulted in having their children apprehended by the state, and finally their journey to regaining custody of their children. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. These women’s narratives highlighted their resiliency in their reclaiming identities as good mothers while challenging socially-constructed beliefs about women, and mothering. Our intention is that the women’s stories can inform child welfare policies and procedures to best support diverse families involved in the child welfare system.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Yoo, H. J. (2018). Reclaiming Our Identities as Good Mothers: Narratives of Mothers with Child Welfare Experience (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33081	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/33081
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/108728
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.faculty	Social Work
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	motherhood
dc.subject	mothering
dc.subject	Child Welfare
dc.subject.classification	Social Work	en_US
dc.title	Reclaiming Our Identities as Good Mothers: Narratives of Mothers with Child Welfare Experience
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Social Work (MSW)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true