Indifference, Demandingness and Resignation Regarding Support for Childrearing

Gracia Maroto-Navarro , Esther Castaño-López , María del Mar García-Calvente

This article explores the maternal experiences of a heterogeneous group of 26 mothers from Granada (Andalusia, Spain). The aim is to analyse the needs and demands that these women express with regard to childrearing, using a qualitative methodology. The authors conducted in-depth interviews and analysed the discourses of the mothers following the hermeneutical method. The variables used for sample selection and the themes that emerged during the interviews revealed that the discourses of the mothers revolve around three dimensions: indifference, demands and resignation regarding support for childrearing. The lack of paternal involvement in childrearing appears as a transversal dimension. This article shows that the material conditions of existence marked the differences in the responses of the women regarding support for childrearing, while the sexual division of labour and gender inequalities unified their discourses.

Mots clés: gender; health; motherhood; qualitative; social support; Spain

Gracia Maroto-Navarro, Esther Castaño-López, María del Mar García-Calvente. Indifference, Demandingness and Resignation Regarding Support for Childrearing. European Journal of Women's Studies, 2007, 14 (1), pp.51-67. ⟨10.1177/1350506807072317⟩. ⟨hal-00571296⟩