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The aim of the present study was to examine the experiences of elite athlete mothers returning to a career in team sports at the elite level after pregnancy. The study employed a qualitative research method with unstructured interviews. A total of eleven women aged between 26–37 years (M = 31.3, SD = 3.05), took part in the study. Three participants played in the OBOS Allsvenskan, five in the handball league, two in the Swedish Super League, and one in the Allsvenskan in floorball. The results revealed both unique and similar experiences regarding the study ́s purpose, resulting in four main themes: (1) challenges along the way back, (2) self-perception and the significance of sports in life, (3) meaningful support contributing to the comeback and performance in one's sport, and (4) balancing elite sports and motherhood. Pregnancy brought about challenges that were difficult to avoid, including uncertainty about how to train successfully to return to sports and both physical and mental challenges. The new role as a mother provided a new perspective on elite sports and life overall, fostering an understanding of the importance of being role models for both their children and future elite athlete mothers. Support from partners, family, and coaches played a crucial role in their journey back to sports after pregnancy. Finally, the results showed that the players successfully managed the challenges they faced, resulting in a positive continuation of their elite careers., Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka elitidrottsmödrars upplevelser av att komma tillbaka till en elitidrottskarriär inom lagidrott efter en graviditet. I studien användes en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med ostrukturerade intervjuer. Sammanlagt deltog elva kvinnor som var mellan 26–37 år gamla (M = 31.3, SD = 3.05). Tre deltagare spelade i OBOS Allsvenskan, fem i handbollsligan, två i Svenska Superligan och en i Allsvenskan i innebandy. I resultatet framkom både unika och liknande upplevelser gällande studiens syfte, som resulterade i fyra huvudteman: (1) utmaningarna under vägen tillbaka, (2) synen på sig själv och idrottens betydelse i livet, (3) betydelsefullt stöd som bidrar till att komma tillbaka och prestera i sin idrott, och (4) att balansera elitidrott och att vara mamma. En graviditet har medfört utmaningar som varit svåra att undvika, dels en osäkerhet för hur de bör träna för att framgångsrikt komma tillbaka till idrotten igen, samt fysiska- och mentala utmaningar. Den nya rollen som mamma har skapat ett nytt perspektiv på elitidrottande och livet i helhet, vilket också skapade en förståelse kring vikten av att vara förebilder både för deras barn och framtida elitidrottande mammor. Stödet runt om spelarna, såsom partner, familj och tränare, har varit en nyckelaspekt i deras väg tillbaka till idrotten efter sin graviditet. Slutligen visade resultatet att spelarna framgångsrikt hanterade de utmaningar de ställdes inför, vilket resulterade i en positiv fortsättning på deras elitkarriär.

Despite scientific research indicating that women have unique pathways both into, and out of crime, they are still quite often an overlooked group in regards to criminal research. For society to continue supporting these women in the most optimal way, it is important to both acknowledge and dive further into the complicated factors that affect women’s processes of reformation from a criminal lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to both create an understanding of the challenges women face when wanting to put their criminal past behind them and to cement the importance of social work in this exit process. Using the exit process and gender contract as our theoretical frames we have analyzed ten semi-structured interviews with five former female criminals. The results show that motherhood is a significant factor in a woman's desistance. KRIS, a volunteer support organization, is also a crucial system in a woman’s decision to leave a criminal lifestyle. Additionally, we have found that multiple traditional expectations involved with being a woman, and a mother, are significant factors in a desire for reformation. Finally, the results indicate that engaging in activities that involve helping others is a key factor in women's journey to desistance., Kvinnor är en ofta förbisedd målgrupp inom forskning gällande kriminalitet. Detta trots att studier pekar på att kvinnor i många fall har unika ingångar till kriminalitet och därmed följer unika vägar ut ur den. Det är viktigt att erkänna och förstå de komplexa faktorerna som påverkar deras exitprocess från brottslighet så att samhället kan hjälpa och stödja dessa kvinnor på ett fördelaktigt sätt. Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att skapa en förståelse för de utmaningar som kvinnor, vilka har haft kriminalitet som livsstil, kan stå inför när de vill avsluta sin kriminella livsstil och på vilket sätt det sociala arbetet har en roll i en sådan exitprocess. Vi har med hjälp av teorierna om exitprocessen och genuskontraktet analyserat material från tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem kvinnor som tidigare levt i livsstilskriminalitet. Resultatet visar att moderskap är betydelsefullt i en kvinnas avhållsamhet, likaså har den frivilliga stödorganisationen KRIS många gånger varit ett avgörande stöd. Av resultatet kan vi även utläsa att det finns föreställningar på en kvinna och än mer på mödrar som gjort att kvinnorna försökt eller helt avhållit sig från kriminalitet. Slutligen visar resultaten att kvinnorna i studien idag jobbar med att hjälpa, vilket är viktigt för deras avhållsamhet.

This research seeks to investigate the societal stigmas and misconceptions of ideal motherhood, aka “intensive mothering,” the repercussions associated, and the support systems both in place or missing. In addition, it seeks to contribute to fostering a healthier societal perception of motherhood. Methods include a literature review of existing research, case studies and analyses of other artists’ contemporary work in the field, and a visual solution in the form of an art exhibition. This research found that intensive mothering is a pervasive idea, ingrained in current society and detrimental to mothers’ mental health and well-being. Through the research and visual solution, it is shown that mothers are not alone in the struggles they go through, even across disparate mothering vocations such as working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, and student mothers, and that bringing together these various groups is essential to foster a healthier societal perception of motherhood and support systems for women.

Objective: This research article investigates the relationship between parenthood and wages, considering the partner's gender and the influence of employers on wage trajectories for birth and non-birth mothers and fathers. Background: It offers a novel examination whether the gender of the partner affects the wage outcomes for birth mothers and explores the differential impact of employers on wages for birth and non-birth mothers, using Dutch register data. Method: Utilizing OLS regression, Heckman selection, and fixed-effects models, this study focuses on all Dutch couples who had their first child between 2008 and 2014 in the Netherlands, from two years prior to the birth until two years after birth. Results: Consistent with human capital theory, the findings reveal a consistent and unfavourable wage development for birth mothers, regardless of whether they are in same-sex couples or different-sex couples. The wage development for non-birth mothers in female same-sex couples resembles that of fathers, showing a more positive trajectory compared to birth mothers. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that employers do not differentiate in their treatment of birth and non-birth mothers, suggesting that biological constraints associated with motherhood impact wages of birth mothers, while both their male and female partners’ wages do not decline. Conclusion: The study contributes to the existing literature in family sociology, highlighting the need for policies and interventions that address the specific challenges faced by birth mothers in the labor market.

“Hela livet kopplar ju ner” - En reflexiv tematisk analys av mammors erfarenheter av att ha ett barn med postinfektiöst tillstånd Föräldrar med långvarigt sjuka barn uppvisar sämre psykisk hälsa och större risk för utmattning än föräldrar med friska barn, däremot saknas kunskap om erfarenheter hos föräldrar till barn med postinfektiösa tillstånd som postcovid, myalgisk encefalomyelit/’chronic fatigue syndrome’ (ME/CFS) och pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome’/’pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections’ (PANS/PANDAS). Syftet med studien var att fördjupa förståelsen för hur föräldrar beskriver av sina erfarenheter av att ha ett barn med postinfektiöst tillstånd. Nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med mammor och analyserades med reflexiv tematisk analys. Analysen identifierade två huvudteman: Orientera utan karta och kompass och Allt för mitt barn. Det första huvudtemat beskriver hur deltagarna försöker förstå vad för sjukdom deras barn har drabbats av och att känna sig utlämnad till en oviss tillvaro med bristande stöd från sjukvården. Det andra huvudtemat beskriver hur deltagarna gör allt i sin makt för att försöka få sitt barn att bli friskt, där egna behov och känslor uppoffras till förmån för barnets förbättrade hälsa. Resultaten visade att bli misstrodd och ifrågasatt i sina försök att hjälpa barnet var en ytterligare belastning för deltagarna, utöver att ta hand om sitt långvarigt sjuka barn. Deltagarnas erfarenheter var samstämmig med tidigare forskning om föräldraskap till sjuka barn. Detta synliggjorde vikten av att sjukvården som möter barn med postinfektiösa tillstånd validerar den belastande situation som föräldrar befinner sig i och tar tillvara på föräldrarnas erfarenheter. Av vikt är också att hjälpa föräldrar att hitta utrymme för återhämtning även i en påfrestande situation, för att möjligen förebygga ökad psykisk ohälsa eller utmattning., “Life comes to a halt” A reflexive thematic analysis of mothers’ experiences of having a child with post-infectious syndrome Parents with chronically ill children exhibit worse mental health and greater risk för burnout than parents with healthy children, however there is lacking knowledge of experiences of parents to children with post-infectious syndrome such as post covid, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome/pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANS/PANDAS). The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of parents’ experiences of having a child with post-infectious syndrome. Nine semi- structured interviews were carried out with mothers and analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in two main themes: Orientation without map and compass and Everything for my child. The first main theme describes how the interviewees try to understand the illness that is affecting the child and how they feel banished to an uncertain existence with low or no support from health care services. The second main theme describe how the interviewees try to do everything within their power to help the child get healthy, where their own needs and feelings are sacrificed to help the child. The results showed that not feeling believed and questioned was an additional burden on top of caring for an ill child. The interviewees experiences were concordant with previous research, with the addition of the burden of having their child’s illness questioned. This emphasizes the importance of that health care services validating the burdensome experiences of parents to children with post-infectious syndrome and taking parents’ experiences into account when treating the child. Furthermore, it is important to help parents find opportunities to recuperate even when in a stressful situation, to potentially prevent worsened mental health or bur

Peruvian film director Claudia Llosa (Lima, 1976) has directed four feature films to date, which have won awards at major international festivals., A direitora de cinema peruana Claudia Llosa (Lima, |976) dirigiu quatro longas-metragens até hoje, premiados nos principais festivais internacionais., La directora de cine peruana Claudia Llosa (Lima, 1976) lleva dirigidos hasta la fecha cuatro películas en formato de largometraje, p´remiados en importantes festivales internacionales. Madeinusa (2006) y La teta asustada (2009) fueron rodados en Perú, transcurren entre el altiplano y la ciudad de Lima, comparten la lengua quechua junto con el español. Su siguiente film, Aloft (2014, No llores, vuela), fue filmada en Canadá y está hablada mayormente en inglés. Su película más reciente, Distancia de rescate (2021, Fever Dream), concebida como producción para la plataforma Netflix, es una adaptación de la novela homónima de la escritora argentina Samanta Schweblin, con quien Llosa escribió el guion original. Se puede seguir en esta filmografía ciertos temas recurrentes, como por ejemplo, la maternidad y todas sus complejidades. Esbozado en las dos primeras películas, adquiere una enorme centraloidad en Aloft y en Distancia de rescate. Este artículo se concentrará en analizar los vínculos entre madres e hijas/os, desde la teoría crítica feminista.

Motherhood is a complex cultural phenomenon with socially constructed representations, meanings and symbolism around women. The article proposes to analyze the configurations of symbolic violence in motherhood in women from Lima-Peru. Following a phenomenological design, 13 female university students and first-time mothers were interviewed. After analyzing the interviews, three main categories were identified: Meanings of motherhood; motherhood with disappointment, shame and guilt; and first mother, then woman. The main results indicate that the meanings of woman are related to responsibility and difficulty, due to bodily and social changes. Guilt arises from the expectations and demands of others regarding the maternal condition, which generates emotional conflicts in them; the father figure installs shame and disappointment in interactions with the participants based on gender constructions and stereotypes; Likewise, the participants perceive that motherhood has displaced being a woman, making it difficult to consolidate her identity as such. It is concluded that women perceive motherhood with a sense of guilt due to non-compliance with those actions validated based on stereotypes and hegemonic conceptions about family, society and roles of wife and mother, La maternidad es un fenómeno cultural complejo con representaciones socialmente construidas, significados y simbolismos en torno a la mujer. El artículo propone analizar las configuraciones de violencia simbólica en la maternidad en mujeres de Lima-Perú. Siguiendo un diseño fenomenológico, se entrevistó 13 mujeres estudiantes universitarias y madres por primera vez. Luego del análisis de las entrevistas, se identificó tres categorías principales: Significados de maternidad; maternidad con decepción, vergüenza y culpa; y primero madre, luego mujer. Los principales resultados indican que los significados de mujer se relacionan a la responsabilidad y dificultad, debido a los cambios corporales y sociales. La culpa surge por las expectativas y exigencia de los otros respecto a la condición materna lo cual genera conflictos emocionales en ellas; la figura paterna instala la vergüenza y decepción en las interacciones con las participantes a partir de construcciones y estereotipos de género; así mismo las participantes perciben que la maternidad ha desplazado el ser mujer dificultando la consolidación de su identidad como tal. Se concluye que las mujeres perciben la maternidad con un sentido de culpa debido al incumplimiento de aquellas acciones validadas en base a estereotipos y concepciones hegemónicas sobre familia, sociedad y roles de esposa y madre.

In this article, we will analyze the construction of the image of women based on their maternal role in three contemporary series: Mrs. America (FX-HULU, 2020), Top of the Lake (BBC Two, 2013), and The Handmaid's Tale (HULU, 2017). We will use the term motherhood in the audiovisual in the same way feminist theory understands it: as a fundamental axis in the construction of women. From this perspective, we understand motherhood as a critical mandate by which the hegemonic heterosexual sex-gender system arbitrarily distinguishes the sexual roles and practices that are socially attributed to the male and female genders as natural attributes (Preciado, 2011). We will also explore the construction of the image of women from the different social, political, and cultural scenarios represented in the series. We propose as a hypothesis that these three series, in English, with established actresses and actors in the American film industry and distributed by powerful platforms, construct images of women that recover and represent the stereotypical gender roles that the American feminist agenda points out as commonplaces to be reviewed and criticized. The characters in our series embody different ways of understanding and practicing motherhood that coexist (not without contradictions) in our time and involve extensive debates both outside and within feminist movements. We understand that the series, like any work of fiction, can become a space for channeling and conveying these debates., En el presente artículo, analizaremos la construcción de la imagen de la mujer a partir de su rol materno en tres series contemporáneas: Mrs. America (FX-HULU, 2020), Top of the Lake (BBC Two, 2013) y The Handmaid's Tale (HULU, 2017). Recuperamos el concepto de maternidad como eje fundamental en la construcción de la mujer en el audiovisual y lo enmarcaremos dentro de la perspectiva teórica feminista que lo entiende como un mandato clave por el cual el sistema sexo-género heterosexual hegemónico distingue de manera arbitraria los roles y las prácticas sexuales que socialmente se atribuyen a los géneros masculino y femenino como atributos naturales (Preciado, 2011). Exploraremos también la construcción de la imagen de la mujer desde los diferentes escenarios sociales, políticos y culturales representados en el corpus. Proponemos a manera de hipótesis que estas tres series, en idioma inglés, con actrices y actores consagradxs en la industria cinematográfica norteamericana y distribuidas por plataformas de gran alcance, construyen imágenes de mujeres que recuperan y escenifican los roles de género estereotipados que la agenda feminista norteamericana señala como lugares comunes a revisar y criticar. Los personajes de nuestro corpus encarnan distintos modos de entender y practicar la maternidad que conviven (no sin contradicciones) en nuestra época y que implican extensos debates tanto fuera como dentro de los movimientos feministas. Entendemos que las series, al igual que cualquier obra de ficción, pueden llegar a constituir un espacio de canalización y vehiculización de estos debates.

The article presents a pedagogical reading of the gender models conveyed, with particular attention to the representation of motherhood, a necessary and urgent issue to encourage boys and girls to build a critical outlook, as well as access to information. It proposes an analysis of the representation of motherhood present in the adventures of superheroines in comics and cinema over the last ten years, based on the the assumption that these characters, thanks to their immediate international success, entered the collective imagination, transmitting widespread images about gender roles. In particular, superheroines, in addition to transmitting a set of complex gender models, linked to traditional or non-traditional stereotypes, transmitting to the general public some latent and less visible, but very incisive, messages about motherhood, the latter constitutes a crucial element in the construction of gender identity, in its symbolic, cultural and social aspects.

Daughter in Waves is a cross-genre creative critical dissertation exploring female narrative inheritance and mother-daughter subject formation in families organizing around domestic violence. The project asks how bodies inherit, inhabit, and shape the language, memories, and stories that cling to them. It weaves together family stories, speculative memoir, poems, fairy tales, collage drawings, interview transcripts, and academic essays on trauma, memory, and embodiment to create a kaleidoscopic portrait of mother and daughter figures as they slip across time and in and out of realism. The writing is multi-genre, experimenting with unconventional citational practices and making use of forms that seek to mirror or echo the pain, tenderness, and fragmentation of traumatic experience. I work from and write alongside critical theories of trauma, embodiment, girlhood, affect, everyday life, memory, and grief, as well as a host of contemporary memoirists, poets, and experimental writers whose work enacts a poetics of daughterhood. Daughter in Waves’ multivocal form builds surprising passageways between the experiential fragments, deferred emotions, and compromised memories that comprise familial trauma, all the while unsettling false dichotomies such as victim/perpetrator, truth/fiction, and past/present. Daughter in Waves enhances an important conversation around the uses of genre-expansive autotheoretical and fabulist writing to collapse the conceptual binary of research/imagination and reanimate embodied subjectivity in projects engaging histories of trauma.

In contemporary Swedish children's literature, mylings and baby farmers make frequent appearances. A myling is the ghost of a murdered child, destined to haunt and expose its assassin. Baby farmers were women paid to take care of unwanted children but sometimes killed them, either directly or through neglect. Both motifs indirectly address issues of motherhood and mothering, and the aim of this article is to discuss how they are represented in children's literature. In research about motherhood, being a mother is often distinguished from the act of mothering. Motherhood is associated with a biological discourse whilst mothering refers to social practices of care that are associated with the mother but may also be carried out by other people. Both mylings and baby farmers address this distinction but in various ways. In folklore about mylings, the biological mother is traditionally singled out as the infant's killer. This misogynistic discourse is, to some extent, renegotiated in contemporary non-fictional works about Nordic mythology for children. In fictional works, though, the mother is still portrayed as the sole caregiver for the child and the only one to blame for its death, thus disregarding the distinction between motherhood and mothering. Baby farmers are neither mothers nor are they mothering. Children's novels set in the past describe the baby farmer as part of a societal industry where a discrepancy between motherhood and mothering is displayed: children are born but not cared for. However, the burden of guilt is shared amongst various social actors, including the fathers. In Gothic fiction set in a contemporaneous society, the baby farmer reveals a deficit in mothering altogether and offers neglect – an anti-mothering – in its place.

Children and adults, the dual audience of picturebooks, are joinedin the act of reading aloud. For many parents, reading to their child con-stitutes one of the basic, intimate care practices of mothering (Rich; Holm).In this study, we examine picturebooks about surrogacy and about moth-ering parents who are mentally or physically ill, published in Sweden inthe period between 2010 and 2022. Both types of books depict a vulnera-bility in relation to parenthood, motherhood and mothering and are oftenautobiographical and niche- or self-published. With an analytical approachgrounded in critical theories of adult agency in children’s literature (Rose;Nodelman; Beauvais), we find that both picturebooks about surrogacy andillness communicate straightforward and often sentimental messages tothe child reader, whereas more complex and possibly problematic adult de-sires and needs can be detected on the level of the adult address. Throughthe projected child perspective (Rhedin), our material offers the vulnerableadult reader representation and recognition in relation to a motherhood/mothering that is not unequivocally considered sufficient or legitimate.The traditional aesthetics and pedagogical use-value of the picturebook aswell as the positive maternal associations to reading aloud, are essential inthis legitimization process. Meanwhile, the implied child reader functionsas a projection surface for adult wishes of normalcy and happy endings.Although hidden behind adult projections, it is this “mighty” child(Beauvais) who ultimately has the power to acknowledge and justify theparents in an impending future which reaches beyond the control of bothadult writer and implied adult reader.

[ES] Ideación y creación de una publicación sobre la maternidad como resultado de un proceso de codiseño. En la memoria se documenta la concepción de las herramientas necesarias para su aplicación en tres procesos participativos distintos y la posterior materialización de los resultados en un proyecto de diseño editorial. El proyecto culmina con la impresión de un prototipo físico. Todo el proceso se contextualiza en el marco contemporáneo de la investigación en diseño, innovación y nuevas metodologías, destacando especialmente el enfoque en el codiseño. El objetivo final es ofrecer un producto cultural que sirva como plataforma para visibilizar diversas realidades enmarcadas en el plano de la maternidad. Una fuente de enriquecimiento por y para las personas con quienes construir la memoria colectiva., [EN] Ideation and creation of an editorial publication on motherhood as a result of a co-design process. The report documents the conception of the necessary tools for its application in three different participatory processes and the subsequent materialization of the results in an editorial design project. The project culminates with the printing of a physical prototype. The entire process is contextualized within the contemporary framework of research in design, innovation, and new methodologies, with a particular emphasis on co-design. The ultimate goal is to offer a cultural product that serves as a platform to make visible diverse realities within the realm of motherhood. A source of enrichment by and for the people with whom to build the collective memory.

This essay examines four artworks by swedish artists Monica Sjöö and Anna Sjödal, which depicts motherhood from the 1970s to 1980s. With purpose to investigate what the artworks and the artist lives can tell about being a mother, woman, and female artist during the afformentioned time in Sweden. The theoretical framework used in this essay to grasp the concept of motherhood has been the theory from author and poet Adrienne Rich’s book Of Woman Born from 1976. As both artist were active in multiple feminist and humanitarian organisations during the time which relates to the works, these movements are also explored to give context of the time. The analysis is a qualitatively one, and aims to decode the symbols in the works to see what it can tell about the time they were made in, therefore semiotics based on Charles Sanders Peirces method of Index, Symbols, and Icons will be used. The study finds the artist mostly depict the ambivolent and challenging experiences of being a mother, housewife, worker, and a creative all at the same time, ranging from singular moments, to a global and cosmic scale.

[ES] Ideación y creación de una publicación sobre la maternidad como resultado de un proceso de codiseño. En la memoria se documenta la concepción de las herramientas necesarias para su aplicación en tres procesos participativos distintos y la posterior materialización de los resultados en un proyecto de diseño editorial. El proyecto culmina con la impresión de un prototipo físico. Todo el proceso se contextualiza en el marco contemporáneo de la investigación en diseño, innovación y nuevas metodologías, destacando especialmente el enfoque en el codiseño. El objetivo final es ofrecer un producto cultural que sirva como plataforma para visibilizar diversas realidades enmarcadas en el plano de la maternidad. Una fuente de enriquecimiento por y para las personas con quienes construir la memoria colectiva., [EN] Ideation and creation of an editorial publication on motherhood as a result of a co-design process. The report documents the conception of the necessary tools for its application in three different participatory processes and the subsequent materialization of the results in an editorial design project. The project culminates with the printing of a physical prototype. The entire process is contextualized within the contemporary framework of research in design, innovation, and new methodologies, with a particular emphasis on co-design. The ultimate goal is to offer a cultural product that serves as a platform to make visible diverse realities within the realm of motherhood. A source of enrichment by and for the people with whom to build the collective memory.

This thesis analyses eight articles about Egyptian women who won the “Ideal mother competition”, organized in Egypt every year. The initiator of the competition is the Egyptian state by the government body Ministry of Social Solidarity. The competition is mediated via various websites on the internet, one of them is the periodical Al-Youm Al- Sabea that is closely connected to the Egyptian state. The aim of this study is to investigate - through Critical Discourse Analysis and framing theory - how the competition idealizes only certain women, as well how the competition is related to nationalism based on an Egyptian context. The study will highlight how one of the Egyptian regime core values - the role of women in nation-building as mothers - finds expression through the competition. The gender theoretical perspective is relevant to this study to explain how social gender is constructed and how stereotypical and traditional gender roles for women are recreated via representations through the media, but also to understand the interplay between nationalism and gender. Stuart Hall's theory of representation, Mikael Foucault’s thoughts on discourse and power and Fatna A. Sabbah's reasoning about two discourses that exist in the Muslim world has been used. The thesis has found that Al-Youm Al-Sabea frame the “ideal” mother as: self- sacrificing, as widow or divorcee and that the children’s studies and professional success depend on the mother. Motherhood, on the other hand, is framed as a struggle. The thesis has also found that Al-Youm Al-Sabea depiction of the “ideal” mother has a close connection to Egyptian nationalism. All eight articles convey more or less explicitly the message that a mother's role is primarily about raising the next generation of citizens of the Egyptian nation with the goal that they will contribute to the nation.

Moderskap är ett brett och universellt ämne som bör utforskas utifrån olika perspektiv. Trots omfattande forskning som har genomförts är moderskap ännu inte fullt utforskat från ett teologiskt perspektiv. Denna undersökning syftar till att utforska och analysera moderskapet inom den kristna traditionen genom att granska tolkningarna av två kristna teologer. Arbetet kommer att jämföra och kontrastera deras perspektiv.Två böcker har valts ut för att fördjupa förståelsen om moderskap ur ett kristet perspektiv och utgör kärnan i arbetet. Valet av materialet ur ett kristet perspektiv har en praktisk koppling som ligger i att Sverige är ett kristet, om än sekulärt land, där detta kan bidra till att skapa en utgångspunkt till att bättre förstå de sociala och normativa kopplingarna i samhället. Då arbetet innefattar jämförelse och analys av texter författade av två teologer krävs en undersökningsmetod som möjliggör kritisk granskning av innehållet, därför har innehållslig idéanalys som vetenskaplig metod tillämpats. Arbetet grundar sig i en etisk teori, då etik beskrivs som en gren inom filosofin som ägnar sig åt att vetenskapligt granska och analysera moralen. Inom kristendomen finns kopplingar till olika etiska teorier som exempelvis dygdetik och pliktetik som är detta arbetes huvudsakliga teoretiska perspektiv.Analysen av arbetet visar att de studerade teologerna delar likhet i sin syn på moderskap i relation till etiska och moraliska krav och betonar att moderskapet är ett komplext fenomen. Teologerna belyser dock olika frågor vilket visar varierande perspektiv på moderskapet.Det främsta fyndet i denna studie ligger kring moderskapets roll och förändringsstadiet från den traditionella uppfattningen till den moderna, feministiska och individualistiska synen. Arbetet visar att dessa syner inte är oförenliga, utan att det finns gemensamma beröringspunkter. Forskning, analys och diskussion kring detta öppnar upp den teologiska didaktiken och uppmuntrar till en diskurs som i, Motherhood is a broad and universal topic that should be explored from different perspectives. Despite extensive research that has been conducted, motherhood is not yet fully explored from a theological perspective. This study aims to explore and analyze motherhood within the Christian tradition by examining the interpretations of two Christian theologians. The work will compare and contrast their perspectives.Two books have been selected to deepen the understanding of motherhood from a Christian perspective and form the core of the work. The choice of the material from a Christian perspective has a practical connection that lies in the fact that Sweden is a Christian, albeit secular country, where this can contribute to creating a starting point to better understand the social and normative connections in society. Since the work includes comparison and analysis of texts written by two theologians, a research method is required that enables critical examination of the content, therefore substantive idea analysis as a scientific method has been applied. The work is based on an ethical theory, as ethics is described as a branch of philosophy that is dedicated to scientifically examining and analyzing morality. Within Christianity there are connections to various ethical theories such as virtue ethics and duty ethics, which are the main theoretical perspectives of this work.The analysis of the work shows that the studied theologians share similarity in their view of motherhood in relation to ethical and moral requirements and emphasize that motherhood is a complex phenomenon. However, the theologians shed light on different issues, which shows varying perspectives on motherhood.The main finding of this study is around the role of motherhood and the stage of change from the traditional view to the modern, feminist and individualistic view. The work shows that these views are not incompatible, but that there are common points of contact. Research, analysis and discussion

[ES] Ideación y creación de una publicación sobre la maternidad como resultado de un proceso de codiseño. En la memoria se documenta la concepción de las herramientas necesarias para su aplicación en tres procesos participativos distintos y la posterior materialización de los resultados en un proyecto de diseño editorial. El proyecto culmina con la impresión de un prototipo físico. Todo el proceso se contextualiza en el marco contemporáneo de la investigación en diseño, innovación y nuevas metodologías, destacando especialmente el enfoque en el codiseño. El objetivo final es ofrecer un producto cultural que sirva como plataforma para visibilizar diversas realidades enmarcadas en el plano de la maternidad. Una fuente de enriquecimiento por y para las personas con quienes construir la memoria colectiva., [EN] Ideation and creation of an editorial publication on motherhood as a result of a co-design process. The report documents the conception of the necessary tools for its application in three different participatory processes and the subsequent materialization of the results in an editorial design project. The project culminates with the printing of a physical prototype. The entire process is contextualized within the contemporary framework of research in design, innovation, and new methodologies, with a particular emphasis on co-design. The ultimate goal is to offer a cultural product that serves as a platform to make visible diverse realities within the realm of motherhood. A source of enrichment by and for the people with whom to build the collective memory.

This article examines the biological aspect of motherhood in Kitty Crowther’s writing, in particular L’enfant racine (2003; The Root Child) and Mère Méduse (2014; Mother Medusa). By paying attention to the intertextual relations and the metaphorical aspects ​​of the images, the analysis demonstrates how Crowther’s iconotext relates to a conflict-filled discourse about mothering and biology. The two works in focus activate dissimilar intertexts, which share references to fertility and pregnancy. L’enfant racine is based on folklore, such as the Czech fairy tale “Otesánek” and Queen Mab. In Mère Méduse, the story of Poseidon’s/Neptune’s rape of Medusa in Roman-Greek mythology constitutes an implicit prehistory to the narrative. The two books build up different kinds of symbolism, where a common point is the depiction of parenthood as a more or less organic relationship. In L’enfant racine, it is a hen-chasing fox who lures the soon-to-be adoptive mother into a mysterious forest, and once she finds the child Root, he is literally bereft of his roots. In Mère Méduse, the central symbol is the mother’s living hair, forging an organic bond with the child. Added to this is a play with literal and figurative representations based on the properties of the jellyfish and the mussel’s defence against pebbles through the creation and enclosing of a pearl – in mother of pearl. Crowther’s iconotexts transform conventional symbolism, thus calling for a reflection on the words and images which are used in our culture to speak of motherhood.

Children and adults, the dual audience of picturebooks, are joinedin the act of reading aloud. For many parents, reading to their child con-stitutes one of the basic, intimate care practices of mothering (Rich; Holm).In this study, we examine picturebooks about surrogacy and about moth-ering parents who are mentally or physically ill, published in Sweden inthe period between 2010 and 2022. Both types of books depict a vulnera-bility in relation to parenthood, motherhood and mothering and are oftenautobiographical and niche- or self-published. With an analytical approachgrounded in critical theories of adult agency in children’s literature (Rose;Nodelman; Beauvais), we find that both picturebooks about surrogacy andillness communicate straightforward and often sentimental messages tothe child reader, whereas more complex and possibly problematic adult de-sires and needs can be detected on the level of the adult address. Throughthe projected child perspective (Rhedin), our material offers the vulnerableadult reader representation and recognition in relation to a motherhood/mothering that is not unequivocally considered sufficient or legitimate.The traditional aesthetics and pedagogical use-value of the picturebook aswell as the positive maternal associations to reading aloud, are essential inthis legitimization process. Meanwhile, the implied child reader functionsas a projection surface for adult wishes of normalcy and happy endings.Although hidden behind adult projections, it is this “mighty” child(Beauvais) who ultimately has the power to acknowledge and justify theparents in an impending future which reaches beyond the control of bothadult writer and implied adult reader.

In contemporary Swedish children's literature, mylings and baby farmers make frequent appearances. A myling is the ghost of a murdered child, destined to haunt and expose its assassin. Baby farmers were women paid to take care of unwanted children but sometimes killed them, either directly or through neglect. Both motifs indirectly address issues of motherhood and mothering, and the aim of this article is to discuss how they are represented in children's literature. In research about motherhood, being a mother is often distinguished from the act of mothering. Motherhood is associated with a biological discourse whilst mothering refers to social practices of care that are associated with the mother but may also be carried out by other people. Both mylings and baby farmers address this distinction but in various ways. In folklore about mylings, the biological mother is traditionally singled out as the infant's killer. This misogynistic discourse is, to some extent, renegotiated in contemporary non-fictional works about Nordic mythology for children. In fictional works, though, the mother is still portrayed as the sole caregiver for the child and the only one to blame for its death, thus disregarding the distinction between motherhood and mothering. Baby farmers are neither mothers nor are they mothering. Children's novels set in the past describe the baby farmer as part of a societal industry where a discrepancy between motherhood and mothering is displayed: children are born but not cared for. However, the burden of guilt is shared amongst various social actors, including the fathers. In Gothic fiction set in a contemporaneous society, the baby farmer reveals a deficit in mothering altogether and offers neglect – an anti-mothering – in its place.

Children and adults, the dual audience of picturebooks, are joinedin the act of reading aloud. For many parents, reading to their child con-stitutes one of the basic, intimate care practices of mothering (Rich; Holm).In this study, we examine picturebooks about surrogacy and about moth-ering parents who are mentally or physically ill, published in Sweden inthe period between 2010 and 2022. Both types of books depict a vulnera-bility in relation to parenthood, motherhood and mothering and are oftenautobiographical and niche- or self-published. With an analytical approachgrounded in critical theories of adult agency in children’s literature (Rose;Nodelman; Beauvais), we find that both picturebooks about surrogacy andillness communicate straightforward and often sentimental messages tothe child reader, whereas more complex and possibly problematic adult de-sires and needs can be detected on the level of the adult address. Throughthe projected child perspective (Rhedin), our material offers the vulnerableadult reader representation and recognition in relation to a motherhood/mothering that is not unequivocally considered sufficient or legitimate.The traditional aesthetics and pedagogical use-value of the picturebook aswell as the positive maternal associations to reading aloud, are essential inthis legitimization process. Meanwhile, the implied child reader functionsas a projection surface for adult wishes of normalcy and happy endings.Although hidden behind adult projections, it is this “mighty” child(Beauvais) who ultimately has the power to acknowledge and justify theparents in an impending future which reaches beyond the control of bothadult writer and implied adult reader.

This article examines the biological aspect of motherhood in Kitty Crowther’s writing, in particular L’enfant racine (2003; The Root Child) and Mère Méduse (2014; Mother Medusa). By paying attention to the intertextual relations and the metaphorical aspects ​​of the images, the analysis demonstrates how Crowther’s iconotext relates to a conflict-filled discourse about mothering and biology. The two works in focus activate dissimilar intertexts, which share references to fertility and pregnancy. L’enfant racine is based on folklore, such as the Czech fairy tale “Otesánek” and Queen Mab. In Mère Méduse, the story of Poseidon’s/Neptune’s rape of Medusa in Roman-Greek mythology constitutes an implicit prehistory to the narrative. The two books build up different kinds of symbolism, where a common point is the depiction of parenthood as a more or less organic relationship. In L’enfant racine, it is a hen-chasing fox who lures the soon-to-be adoptive mother into a mysterious forest, and once she finds the child Root, he is literally bereft of his roots. In Mère Méduse, the central symbol is the mother’s living hair, forging an organic bond with the child. Added to this is a play with literal and figurative representations based on the properties of the jellyfish and the mussel’s defence against pebbles through the creation and enclosing of a pearl – in mother of pearl. Crowther’s iconotexts transform conventional symbolism, thus calling for a reflection on the words and images which are used in our culture to speak of motherhood.

Female domestic workers often take on multiple roles in different settings, such as that of mothers and migrants. This study focuses on women’s diverse trajectories in timing motherhood and migration from a temporal perspective. Despite the continuities between their paid work for their employers and unpaid care for their own families, both of which are highly feminized, migrant women often face tensions and conflicts between the two; it is difficult to be a good worker and a good mother at the same time. Drawing on the Survey of Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong, this study provides a quantitative picture of how some women decide to move before becoming mothers and some afterward, as well as their different long-term mobility tendencies. The findings lend support to a selectivity process that highly educated women are more likely to be non-mother migrants; they are more likely to move at a younger age and when they are unmarried. However, over time, migrants who were mothers at the time of their first migration are more likely to conduct multiple moves. Such mixed findings suggest that women’s migration is interrelated with motherhood in complex ways, which may reflect the need of repeated migration by mothers on the one hand, and the gender beliefs that continue to regard migrant women as neglecting their families and deviating from feminine domesticity on the other.

This article examines the biological aspect of motherhood in Kitty Crowther’s writing, in particular L’enfant racine (2003; The Root Child) and Mère Méduse (2014; Mother Medusa). By paying attention to the intertextual relations and the metaphorical aspects ​​of the images, the analysis demonstrates how Crowther’s iconotext relates to a conflict-filled discourse about mothering and biology. The two works in focus activate dissimilar intertexts, which share references to fertility and pregnancy. L’enfant racine is based on folklore, such as the Czech fairy tale “Otesánek” and Queen Mab. In Mère Méduse, the story of Poseidon’s/Neptune’s rape of Medusa in Roman-Greek mythology constitutes an implicit prehistory to the narrative. The two books build up different kinds of symbolism, where a common point is the depiction of parenthood as a more or less organic relationship. In L’enfant racine, it is a hen-chasing fox who lures the soon-to-be adoptive mother into a mysterious forest, and once she finds the child Root, he is literally bereft of his roots. In Mère Méduse, the central symbol is the mother’s living hair, forging an organic bond with the child. Added to this is a play with literal and figurative representations based on the properties of the jellyfish and the mussel’s defence against pebbles through the creation and enclosing of a pearl – in mother of pearl. Crowther’s iconotexts transform conventional symbolism, thus calling for a reflection on the words and images which are used in our culture to speak of motherhood.

This article examines the biological aspect of motherhood in Kitty Crowther’s writing, in particular L’enfant racine (2003; The Root Child) and Mère Méduse (2014; Mother Medusa). By paying attention to the intertextual relations and the metaphorical aspects ​​of the images, the analysis demonstrates how Crowther’s iconotext relates to a conflict-filled discourse about mothering and biology. The two works in focus activate dissimilar intertexts, which share references to fertility and pregnancy. L’enfant racine is based on folklore, such as the Czech fairy tale “Otesánek” and Queen Mab. In Mère Méduse, the story of Poseidon’s/Neptune’s rape of Medusa in Roman-Greek mythology constitutes an implicit prehistory to the narrative. The two books build up different kinds of symbolism, where a common point is the depiction of parenthood as a more or less organic relationship. In L’enfant racine, it is a hen-chasing fox who lures the soon-to-be adoptive mother into a mysterious forest, and once she finds the child Root, he is literally bereft of his roots. In Mère Méduse, the central symbol is the mother’s living hair, forging an organic bond with the child. Added to this is a play with literal and figurative representations based on the properties of the jellyfish and the mussel’s defence against pebbles through the creation and enclosing of a pearl – in mother of pearl. Crowther’s iconotexts transform conventional symbolism, thus calling for a reflection on the words and images which are used in our culture to speak of motherhood.

Children and adults, the dual audience of picturebooks, are joinedin the act of reading aloud. For many parents, reading to their child con-stitutes one of the basic, intimate care practices of mothering (Rich; Holm).In this study, we examine picturebooks about surrogacy and about moth-ering parents who are mentally or physically ill, published in Sweden inthe period between 2010 and 2022. Both types of books depict a vulnera-bility in relation to parenthood, motherhood and mothering and are oftenautobiographical and niche- or self-published. With an analytical approachgrounded in critical theories of adult agency in children’s literature (Rose;Nodelman; Beauvais), we find that both picturebooks about surrogacy andillness communicate straightforward and often sentimental messages tothe child reader, whereas more complex and possibly problematic adult de-sires and needs can be detected on the level of the adult address. Throughthe projected child perspective (Rhedin), our material offers the vulnerableadult reader representation and recognition in relation to a motherhood/mothering that is not unequivocally considered sufficient or legitimate.The traditional aesthetics and pedagogical use-value of the picturebook aswell as the positive maternal associations to reading aloud, are essential inthis legitimization process. Meanwhile, the implied child reader functionsas a projection surface for adult wishes of normalcy and happy endings.Although hidden behind adult projections, it is this “mighty” child(Beauvais) who ultimately has the power to acknowledge and justify theparents in an impending future which reaches beyond the control of bothadult writer and implied adult reader.

In contemporary Swedish children's literature, mylings and baby farmers make frequent appearances. A myling is the ghost of a murdered child, destined to haunt and expose its assassin. Baby farmers were women paid to take care of unwanted children but sometimes killed them, either directly or through neglect. Both motifs indirectly address issues of motherhood and mothering, and the aim of this article is to discuss how they are represented in children's literature. In research about motherhood, being a mother is often distinguished from the act of mothering. Motherhood is associated with a biological discourse whilst mothering refers to social practices of care that are associated with the mother but may also be carried out by other people. Both mylings and baby farmers address this distinction but in various ways. In folklore about mylings, the biological mother is traditionally singled out as the infant's killer. This misogynistic discourse is, to some extent, renegotiated in contemporary non-fictional works about Nordic mythology for children. In fictional works, though, the mother is still portrayed as the sole caregiver for the child and the only one to blame for its death, thus disregarding the distinction between motherhood and mothering. Baby farmers are neither mothers nor are they mothering. Children's novels set in the past describe the baby farmer as part of a societal industry where a discrepancy between motherhood and mothering is displayed: children are born but not cared for. However, the burden of guilt is shared amongst various social actors, including the fathers. In Gothic fiction set in a contemporaneous society, the baby farmer reveals a deficit in mothering altogether and offers neglect – an anti-mothering – in its place.

Menopause is a stage of the life cycle known for physical, mental, and emotional changes. Many women report feeling isolated and lonely during this time due to changes in hormones and physical appearance, lack of sleep, uncertainty about their role after raising children, and cultural pressures to remain thin and beautiful. Due to the lack of education and normalization of this life change, women often withdraw and become increasingly depressed or anxious, as a result. Loneliness is associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, suicidality, premature death, and a variety of other physical ailments. However, previous research suggests that the practice of solitude, faith, perspective-taking, self-talk, and social connection are effective in reducing these symptoms. In this phenomenological study, women who were identified as being of menopausal age (40-60 years) were interviewed about their experience of loneliness and subsequent coping skills during this life stage. The goal of this study was to learn from the insight and practice of menopausal women in how they coped with loneliness and altered their perspective of being alone. Participants sought relief through the practice of solitude, faith, perspective-taking, self-talk, and social connection. Key factors that enabled women to access these skills had to do with the normalization and validation of their experience, which was needed from partners, peers, medical practitioners, and therapists. This information was then conveyed to medical, spiritual, and mental health practitioners to enhance their assessment and treatment of women presenting with loneliness and other symptoms related to menopause.

This thesis analyses eight articles about Egyptian women who won the “Ideal mother competition”, organized in Egypt every year. The initiator of the competition is the Egyptian state by the government body Ministry of Social Solidarity. The competition is mediated via various websites on the internet, one of them is the periodical Al-Youm Al- Sabea that is closely connected to the Egyptian state. The aim of this study is to investigate - through Critical Discourse Analysis and framing theory - how the competition idealizes only certain women, as well how the competition is related to nationalism based on an Egyptian context. The study will highlight how one of the Egyptian regime core values - the role of women in nation-building as mothers - finds expression through the competition. The gender theoretical perspective is relevant to this study to explain how social gender is constructed and how stereotypical and traditional gender roles for women are recreated via representations through the media, but also to understand the interplay between nationalism and gender. Stuart Hall's theory of representation, Mikael Foucault’s thoughts on discourse and power and Fatna A. Sabbah's reasoning about two discourses that exist in the Muslim world has been used. The thesis has found that Al-Youm Al-Sabea frame the “ideal” mother as: self- sacrificing, as widow or divorcee and that the children’s studies and professional success depend on the mother. Motherhood, on the other hand, is framed as a struggle. The thesis has also found that Al-Youm Al-Sabea depiction of the “ideal” mother has a close connection to Egyptian nationalism. All eight articles convey more or less explicitly the message that a mother's role is primarily about raising the next generation of citizens of the Egyptian nation with the goal that they will contribute to the nation.

The investigation that we bring here tries to bring the reader closer to the world of child marginalization (some children who were abandoned, killed, mistreated and subjected to numerous abuses), motherhood and affections in modern Castile. Three deeply intertwined realities that, analyzed and interpreted together, allow us to appreciate continuities and disruptions within the processes of mentality and sociability typical of the eighteenth century. In these pages, and without ever losing sight of the abundant bibliography that exists on the subject, we are going to talk about women and children. Of women, who immersed in a patriarchal system that tended to underestimate their intellectual capacity, were in charge of breastfeeding, raising and morally instructing the youngest individuals, transmitting identity values ​​and customs. And of children who, in the warmth of a family, of an inclusive or a wet nurse, grew up in a society that did not provide them with private spaces for development, seeing, for example, forced to work from an early age in exchange for food, bed and the dress. Despite the fact that Palencia has been the chosen scenario, due in part to the greater accessibility of the sources and the great possibilities offered by the documentation of the cradle of the Hospital de San Antolín y San Bernabé, the approaches and conclusions that we expose here are extensible to the rest of the Castilian territory. We understand that the documented practices should not differ much from one geographical point to another, although they may have their own particularities. In the same way, although we have focused our attention on the eighteenth century, this has not prevented us from obtaining an overview of the period by having resorted to documents dating from earlier times., La investigación que aquí traemos pretender acercar al lector al mundo de la marginación infantil (unos niños que eran abandonados, asesinados, maltratados y objeto de numerosos abusos), la maternidad y los afectos en la Castilla moderna. Tres realidades profundamente imbricadas entre sí que, analizadas e interpretadas de manera conjunta, permiten apreciar continuidades y disrupciones dentro de los procesos de mentalidad y sociabilidad propios del siglo XVIII. En estas páginas, y sin perder nunca de vista la abundante bibliografía que existe sobre el tema, vamos a hablar de mujeres y de niños. De mujeres, que inmersas en un sistema patriarcal que tendía a minusvalorar su capacidad intelectual, se encargaban de amamantar, criar e instruir moralmente a los individuos más jóvenes transmitiéndoles los valores y las costumbres identitarias. Y de niños que, al calor de una familia, de una inclusa o de una nodriza, crecían en una sociedad que no les aportaba espacios privativos de desarrollo viéndose, por ejemplo, obligados a trabajar desde edades tempranas a cambio de la comida, la cama y el vestido. Pese a que Palencia ha sido el escenario escogido debido en parte, a la mayor accesibilidad de las fuentes y a las grandes posibilidades que ofrecía la documentación de la cuna del Hospital de San Antolín y San Bernabé, los planteamientos y conclusiones que aquí exponemos se hacen extensibles al resto del territorio castellano. Entendemos que, las prácticas documentadas, no debían diferir mucho de un punto geográfico a otro, aunque pudieran tener sus propias particularidades. Del mismo modo, aunque hallamos centrado nuestra atención en el siglo XVIII, eso no nos ha impedido obtener una visión de conjunto del periodo por haber recurrido a documentos fechados en época más tempranas., Escuela de Doctorado, Doctorado en Europa y el Mundo Atlántico: Poder, Cultura y Sociedad

This essay examines four artworks by swedish artists Monica Sjöö and Anna Sjödal, which depicts motherhood from the 1970s to 1980s. With purpose to investigate what the artworks and the artist lives can tell about being a mother, woman, and female artist during the afformentioned time in Sweden. The theoretical framework used in this essay to grasp the concept of motherhood has been the theory from author and poet Adrienne Rich’s book Of Woman Born from 1976. As both artist were active in multiple feminist and humanitarian organisations during the time which relates to the works, these movements are also explored to give context of the time. The analysis is a qualitatively one, and aims to decode the symbols in the works to see what it can tell about the time they were made in, therefore semiotics based on Charles Sanders Peirces method of Index, Symbols, and Icons will be used. The study finds the artist mostly depict the ambivolent and challenging experiences of being a mother, housewife, worker, and a creative all at the same time, ranging from singular moments, to a global and cosmic scale.

Utmaningar är en oundviklig del av livet som alla människor möter men det kan varasärskilt påtagligt för kvinnor med utländsk bakgrund. Denna samhällsgrupp ställs oftainför en komplex uppsättning av svårigheter som innefattar ekonomiska, sociala ochkulturella hinder. Syftet med denna undersökning är att få en djupare förståelse överkvinnor från Mellanösterns roll på moderskapet och de utmaningar som de möter i detsvenska samhället. Denna studie tillämpar en kvalitativ forskningsmetod genom attgenomföra intervjuer med åtta kvinnor från Syrien, Irak och Palestina och analysenutgår från begreppen socialt kapital, intersektionalitet och differentiering. Studiensresultat visar att kvinnor från Mellanöstern möter sociala utmaningar, i form av brist påsociala relationer och stöd, något som utmanar deras möjlighet att uppfyllamoderskapet. Kvinnorna möter även ekonomiska svårigheter, bland annat på grund avdet samhälleliga kravet att båda föräldrarna behöver arbeta. Därmed upplever kvinnornaSverige som utmanande och krävande. Trots dessa svårigheter anser kvinnorna att livet iSverige är bättre, tack vare den trygghet och möjligheter som erbjuds här., Challenges are an inevitable part of life that everyone faces, but it can be particularlynoticeable for women with a foreign background. This community often faces acomplex set of difficulties that include economic, social and cultural barriers. Thepurpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of women from the MiddleEast´s role in motherhood and the challenges they face in Swedish society. This studyapplies a qualitative research method by interviewing eight women från Syria, Iraq andPalestine and the analysis is based on the concepts of Social capital, intersectionalityand differentiation. The results of this study show that women from the Middle Eastface social challenges, in the form of a lack of social relationships and support,something that challenges their ability to fulfill motherhood. The women also faceeconomic difficulties due to the societal requirement that both parents need to work.Thus, the women's experience of Sweden is described as challenging and demanding.Despite these difficulties, the women believe that life in Sweden is better, thanks to thesecurity and opportunities offered here.

The study aims to hear and represent the experiences of Afghan immigrant mothers in Malmö, Sweden. By focusing on the individual level, the research seeks to investigate the challenges of raising children and the strategies developed to overcome those challenges. A qualitative research design was chosen for the study, using data from five semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The research is theoretically framed by Berry's acculturation theory and concepts of parenting. The finding indicates that Afghan immigrant mothers face challenges as individuals and as parents during their integration process. The key challenges include adapting to a new way of living, overcoming language barriers, changes in social position and lack of social networks. Additionally, Cultural influence on parenting, the difference between the collective and individualistic parenting styles in Swedish society, and differences in acculturation levels, authority and discipline were significant factors. Finally, the thesis implies immigrant mothers need structural support through access to language classes and community programs to navigate the Swedish system and professional support to integrate successfully into the Swedish community.

Moderskap är ett brett och universellt ämne som bör utforskas utifrån olika perspektiv. Trots omfattande forskning som har genomförts är moderskap ännu inte fullt utforskat från ett teologiskt perspektiv. Denna undersökning syftar till att utforska och analysera moderskapet inom den kristna traditionen genom att granska tolkningarna av två kristna teologer. Arbetet kommer att jämföra och kontrastera deras perspektiv.Två böcker har valts ut för att fördjupa förståelsen om moderskap ur ett kristet perspektiv och utgör kärnan i arbetet. Valet av materialet ur ett kristet perspektiv har en praktisk koppling som ligger i att Sverige är ett kristet, om än sekulärt land, där detta kan bidra till att skapa en utgångspunkt till att bättre förstå de sociala och normativa kopplingarna i samhället. Då arbetet innefattar jämförelse och analys av texter författade av två teologer krävs en undersökningsmetod som möjliggör kritisk granskning av innehållet, därför har innehållslig idéanalys som vetenskaplig metod tillämpats. Arbetet grundar sig i en etisk teori, då etik beskrivs som en gren inom filosofin som ägnar sig åt att vetenskapligt granska och analysera moralen. Inom kristendomen finns kopplingar till olika etiska teorier som exempelvis dygdetik och pliktetik som är detta arbetes huvudsakliga teoretiska perspektiv.Analysen av arbetet visar att de studerade teologerna delar likhet i sin syn på moderskap i relation till etiska och moraliska krav och betonar att moderskapet är ett komplext fenomen. Teologerna belyser dock olika frågor vilket visar varierande perspektiv på moderskapet.Det främsta fyndet i denna studie ligger kring moderskapets roll och förändringsstadiet från den traditionella uppfattningen till den moderna, feministiska och individualistiska synen. Arbetet visar att dessa syner inte är oförenliga, utan att det finns gemensamma beröringspunkter. Forskning, analys och diskussion kring detta öppnar upp den teologiska didaktiken och uppmuntrar till en diskurs som i, Motherhood is a broad and universal topic that should be explored from different perspectives. Despite extensive research that has been conducted, motherhood is not yet fully explored from a theological perspective. This study aims to explore and analyze motherhood within the Christian tradition by examining the interpretations of two Christian theologians. The work will compare and contrast their perspectives.Two books have been selected to deepen the understanding of motherhood from a Christian perspective and form the core of the work. The choice of the material from a Christian perspective has a practical connection that lies in the fact that Sweden is a Christian, albeit secular country, where this can contribute to creating a starting point to better understand the social and normative connections in society. Since the work includes comparison and analysis of texts written by two theologians, a research method is required that enables critical examination of the content, therefore substantive idea analysis as a scientific method has been applied. The work is based on an ethical theory, as ethics is described as a branch of philosophy that is dedicated to scientifically examining and analyzing morality. Within Christianity there are connections to various ethical theories such as virtue ethics and duty ethics, which are the main theoretical perspectives of this work.The analysis of the work shows that the studied theologians share similarity in their view of motherhood in relation to ethical and moral requirements and emphasize that motherhood is a complex phenomenon. However, the theologians shed light on different issues, which shows varying perspectives on motherhood.The main finding of this study is around the role of motherhood and the stage of change from the traditional view to the modern, feminist and individualistic view. The work shows that these views are not incompatible, but that there are common points of contact. Research, analysis and discussion

Trots att socialt arbete strävar efter att främja ett mer jämställt föräldraskap, fortsätter förväntningar och normer relaterat till genus och kön spela en betydande roll. Studien undersöker, med hjälp av en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats och teorin om genussystemet, socialarbetares könsspecifika förväntningar på moderskap och faderskap särskilt i en missbruks- och beroendeproblematik. De könsbestämda förväntningarna kan påverka stödåtgärder för föräldrar, om de fortsätter att reproduceras inom socialt arbete. Studien genomfördes med kvalitativ metod, där tio informanter medverkar genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Det insamlade materialet analyserades med tematisk analys. Det framkom av resultatet underliggande traditionella förväntningar på moderskap och faderskap i samband med missbruks- och beroendeproblematik, samtidigt som socialarbetarna var medvetna om förväntningarna och normerna kopplat till genus. Huvudsakligen framhävs det en bild av socialarbetarna att moderskapet är relaterat till ansvar och omsorg samt kommer med högre krav. Faderskapet undgår ofta krav och kritik även när de har en liknande missbruks- och beroendeproblematik. Det framkommer att det är mer normaliserat för männen att ha den typen av problematik. Moderskapet konstrueras som det primära och fadern förbises i föräldrarollen, vilket leder till en passiv roll där han tillhör missbruks- och beroendeproblematik samtidigt som mamman inte accepteras med liknande problematik. Vår studie synliggör hur traditionella könsspecifika förväntningar reproduceras inom socialt arbete och påverkar arbetet i möte med föräldrar med missbruks- och beroendeproblematik.

Denna kvalitativa dokumentstudie har som syfte att undersöka hur föräldraskap konstrueras i LVU-domar i förhållande till rekvisitet brister i omsorgen. Studien ämnar att undersöka hur moderskap respektive faderskap porträtteras i förhållande till detta. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar har LVU-domar analyserats utifrån en tematisk analys. Den teoretiska ramen har varit socialkonstruktionism, Hirdmans teori om genussystemet, intersektionalitet samt ett rättssociologiskt perspektiv. Studiens resultat visar att det finns flera olika faktorer som kan ligga till grund för en bristande omsorg och att det i varje specifikt fall görs en bedömning utifrån de omständigheter som kan innebära en påtaglig risk för att barnets hälsa eller utveckling skadas. Föräldrarnas omsorgsförmåga porträtteras följaktligen i förhållande till omständigheterna i barnets liv och till barnets specifika behov. Övergripande har studien också funnit att det generellt skrivs mer om mödrar i domarna. Deras omsorgsförmåga beskrivs mer utförligt, både i negativa och positiva ordalag. Det råder även en variation kring hur domen är utformad, samt hur mycket och hur utförligt det skrivs. I vissa domar skrivs det mycket kortfattat kring omsorgsförmågan, medan det i andra redogörs mycket utförligt. Studien har också funnit att moderskap respektive faderskap till viss del konstrueras på olika sätt. Till exempel konstrueras mödrar som ansvariga för grundläggande och känslomässig omsorg. De konstrueras även som ansvariga för att hantera konflikter och säkerställa säkerheten för barnet. Generellt skrivs det inte mycket kring fäderna och de tillskrivs generellt en mer passiv roll.

Children and adults, the dual audience of picturebooks, are joinedin the act of reading aloud. For many parents, reading to their child con-stitutes one of the basic, intimate care practices of mothering (Rich; Holm).In this study, we examine picturebooks about surrogacy and about moth-ering parents who are mentally or physically ill, published in Sweden inthe period between 2010 and 2022. Both types of books depict a vulnera-bility in relation to parenthood, motherhood and mothering and are oftenautobiographical and niche- or self-published. With an analytical approachgrounded in critical theories of adult agency in children’s literature (Rose;Nodelman; Beauvais), we find that both picturebooks about surrogacy andillness communicate straightforward and often sentimental messages tothe child reader, whereas more complex and possibly problematic adult de-sires and needs can be detected on the level of the adult address. Throughthe projected child perspective (Rhedin), our material offers the vulnerableadult reader representation and recognition in relation to a motherhood/mothering that is not unequivocally considered sufficient or legitimate.The traditional aesthetics and pedagogical use-value of the picturebook aswell as the positive maternal associations to reading aloud, are essential inthis legitimization process. Meanwhile, the implied child reader functionsas a projection surface for adult wishes of normalcy and happy endings.Although hidden behind adult projections, it is this “mighty” child(Beauvais) who ultimately has the power to acknowledge and justify theparents in an impending future which reaches beyond the control of bothadult writer and implied adult reader.

This research is grounded in (digital) ethnographic fieldwork, offering an in-depth exploration into the dynamics of contemporary motherhood, particularly women’s experiences of peripartum depression. The study places an emphasis on a frequently understudied group: highly educated and seemingly privileged middle-class Chinese mothers residing in urban China, as well as those who have chosen to migrate to the Netherlands. It also examines of the quality of the maternity care provider-woman relationship within the interactions involving midwives and maternity care assistants with middle-class Chinese migrant women in the Netherlands. Chapter 1 aims to define the vulnerability to developing postpartum depression of middle-class migrant women as an intersubjective phenomenon undergoing transformation due to individual's social, cultural, and intergenerational interactions within transnational families. This article specifically focuses on middle-class Chinese migrant women, representing an often-overlooked subgroup within the burgeoning global middle-class migrant populations. Notably, it provides insights the pressures induced by the dominant public discourse of “good” mothering and explores how women who feel compelled to meet the standards of a "good" mother often exhibit lower levels of maternal self-efficacy, leading to heightened stress and anxiety. Chapter 2 is grounded in semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 43 Chinese mothers residing in urban China. This study examines the prevailing mothering paradigm embraced by the majority of middle-class Chinese mothers—termed "scientific mothering" (kexue yu’er). This conceptual framework places a premium on the authority and accountability of modern science, particularly drawing from the perspective of developmental psychology. Implicit in the notion of scientific mothering is the expectation for women to self-sacrifice their individual needs and pursuits for the purpose of fostering high-achieving children. A grow

The study aims to hear and represent the experiences of Afghan immigrant mothers in Malmö, Sweden. By focusing on the individual level, the research seeks to investigate the challenges of raising children and the strategies developed to overcome those challenges. A qualitative research design was chosen for the study, using data from five semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The research is theoretically framed by Berry's acculturation theory and concepts of parenting. The finding indicates that Afghan immigrant mothers face challenges as individuals and as parents during their integration process. The key challenges include adapting to a new way of living, overcoming language barriers, changes in social position and lack of social networks. Additionally, Cultural influence on parenting, the difference between the collective and individualistic parenting styles in Swedish society, and differences in acculturation levels, authority and discipline were significant factors. Finally, the thesis implies immigrant mothers need structural support through access to language classes and community programs to navigate the Swedish system and professional support to integrate successfully into the Swedish community.

Trots att socialt arbete strävar efter att främja ett mer jämställt föräldraskap, fortsätter förväntningar och normer relaterat till genus och kön spela en betydande roll. Studien undersöker, med hjälp av en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats och teorin om genussystemet, socialarbetares könsspecifika förväntningar på moderskap och faderskap särskilt i en missbruks- och beroendeproblematik. De könsbestämda förväntningarna kan påverka stödåtgärder för föräldrar, om de fortsätter att reproduceras inom socialt arbete. Studien genomfördes med kvalitativ metod, där tio informanter medverkar genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Det insamlade materialet analyserades med tematisk analys. Det framkom av resultatet underliggande traditionella förväntningar på moderskap och faderskap i samband med missbruks- och beroendeproblematik, samtidigt som socialarbetarna var medvetna om förväntningarna och normerna kopplat till genus. Huvudsakligen framhävs det en bild av socialarbetarna att moderskapet är relaterat till ansvar och omsorg samt kommer med högre krav. Faderskapet undgår ofta krav och kritik även när de har en liknande missbruks- och beroendeproblematik. Det framkommer att det är mer normaliserat för männen att ha den typen av problematik. Moderskapet konstrueras som det primära och fadern förbises i föräldrarollen, vilket leder till en passiv roll där han tillhör missbruks- och beroendeproblematik samtidigt som mamman inte accepteras med liknande problematik. Vår studie synliggör hur traditionella könsspecifika förväntningar reproduceras inom socialt arbete och påverkar arbetet i möte med föräldrar med missbruks- och beroendeproblematik.

Denna kvalitativa dokumentstudie har som syfte att undersöka hur föräldraskap konstrueras i LVU-domar i förhållande till rekvisitet brister i omsorgen. Studien ämnar att undersöka hur moderskap respektive faderskap porträtteras i förhållande till detta. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar har LVU-domar analyserats utifrån en tematisk analys. Den teoretiska ramen har varit socialkonstruktionism, Hirdmans teori om genussystemet, intersektionalitet samt ett rättssociologiskt perspektiv. Studiens resultat visar att det finns flera olika faktorer som kan ligga till grund för en bristande omsorg och att det i varje specifikt fall görs en bedömning utifrån de omständigheter som kan innebära en påtaglig risk för att barnets hälsa eller utveckling skadas. Föräldrarnas omsorgsförmåga porträtteras följaktligen i förhållande till omständigheterna i barnets liv och till barnets specifika behov. Övergripande har studien också funnit att det generellt skrivs mer om mödrar i domarna. Deras omsorgsförmåga beskrivs mer utförligt, både i negativa och positiva ordalag. Det råder även en variation kring hur domen är utformad, samt hur mycket och hur utförligt det skrivs. I vissa domar skrivs det mycket kortfattat kring omsorgsförmågan, medan det i andra redogörs mycket utförligt. Studien har också funnit att moderskap respektive faderskap till viss del konstrueras på olika sätt. Till exempel konstrueras mödrar som ansvariga för grundläggande och känslomässig omsorg. De konstrueras även som ansvariga för att hantera konflikter och säkerställa säkerheten för barnet. Generellt skrivs det inte mycket kring fäderna och de tillskrivs generellt en mer passiv roll.

The aim of the present study was to examine the experiences of elite athlete mothers returning to a career in team sports at the elite level after pregnancy. The study employed a qualitative research method with unstructured interviews. A total of eleven women aged between 26–37 years (M = 31.3, SD = 3.05), took part in the study. Three participants played in the OBOS Allsvenskan, five in the handball league, two in the Swedish Super League, and one in the Allsvenskan in floorball. The results revealed both unique and similar experiences regarding the study ́s purpose, resulting in four main themes: (1) challenges along the way back, (2) self-perception and the significance of sports in life, (3) meaningful support contributing to the comeback and performance in one's sport, and (4) balancing elite sports and motherhood. Pregnancy brought about challenges that were difficult to avoid, including uncertainty about how to train successfully to return to sports and both physical and mental challenges. The new role as a mother provided a new perspective on elite sports and life overall, fostering an understanding of the importance of being role models for both their children and future elite athlete mothers. Support from partners, family, and coaches played a crucial role in their journey back to sports after pregnancy. Finally, the results showed that the players successfully managed the challenges they faced, resulting in a positive continuation of their elite careers., Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka elitidrottsmödrars upplevelser av att komma tillbaka till en elitidrottskarriär inom lagidrott efter en graviditet. I studien användes en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med ostrukturerade intervjuer. Sammanlagt deltog elva kvinnor som var mellan 26–37 år gamla (M = 31.3, SD = 3.05). Tre deltagare spelade i OBOS Allsvenskan, fem i handbollsligan, två i Svenska Superligan och en i Allsvenskan i innebandy. I resultatet framkom både unika och liknande upplevelser gällande studiens syfte, som resulterade i fyra huvudteman: (1) utmaningarna under vägen tillbaka, (2) synen på sig själv och idrottens betydelse i livet, (3) betydelsefullt stöd som bidrar till att komma tillbaka och prestera i sin idrott, och (4) att balansera elitidrott och att vara mamma. En graviditet har medfört utmaningar som varit svåra att undvika, dels en osäkerhet för hur de bör träna för att framgångsrikt komma tillbaka till idrotten igen, samt fysiska- och mentala utmaningar. Den nya rollen som mamma har skapat ett nytt perspektiv på elitidrottande och livet i helhet, vilket också skapade en förståelse kring vikten av att vara förebilder både för deras barn och framtida elitidrottande mammor. Stödet runt om spelarna, såsom partner, familj och tränare, har varit en nyckelaspekt i deras väg tillbaka till idrotten efter sin graviditet. Slutligen visade resultatet att spelarna framgångsrikt hanterade de utmaningar de ställdes inför, vilket resulterade i en positiv fortsättning på deras elitkarriär.

Despite scientific research indicating that women have unique pathways both into, and out of crime, they are still quite often an overlooked group in regards to criminal research. For society to continue supporting these women in the most optimal way, it is important to both acknowledge and dive further into the complicated factors that affect women’s processes of reformation from a criminal lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to both create an understanding of the challenges women face when wanting to put their criminal past behind them and to cement the importance of social work in this exit process. Using the exit process and gender contract as our theoretical frames we have analyzed ten semi-structured interviews with five former female criminals. The results show that motherhood is a significant factor in a woman's desistance. KRIS, a volunteer support organization, is also a crucial system in a woman’s decision to leave a criminal lifestyle. Additionally, we have found that multiple traditional expectations involved with being a woman, and a mother, are significant factors in a desire for reformation. Finally, the results indicate that engaging in activities that involve helping others is a key factor in women's journey to desistance., Kvinnor är en ofta förbisedd målgrupp inom forskning gällande kriminalitet. Detta trots att studier pekar på att kvinnor i många fall har unika ingångar till kriminalitet och därmed följer unika vägar ut ur den. Det är viktigt att erkänna och förstå de komplexa faktorerna som påverkar deras exitprocess från brottslighet så att samhället kan hjälpa och stödja dessa kvinnor på ett fördelaktigt sätt. Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att skapa en förståelse för de utmaningar som kvinnor, vilka har haft kriminalitet som livsstil, kan stå inför när de vill avsluta sin kriminella livsstil och på vilket sätt det sociala arbetet har en roll i en sådan exitprocess. Vi har med hjälp av teorierna om exitprocessen och genuskontraktet analyserat material från tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem kvinnor som tidigare levt i livsstilskriminalitet. Resultatet visar att moderskap är betydelsefullt i en kvinnas avhållsamhet, likaså har den frivilliga stödorganisationen KRIS många gånger varit ett avgörande stöd. Av resultatet kan vi även utläsa att det finns föreställningar på en kvinna och än mer på mödrar som gjort att kvinnorna försökt eller helt avhållit sig från kriminalitet. Slutligen visar resultaten att kvinnorna i studien idag jobbar med att hjälpa, vilket är viktigt för deras avhållsamhet.

In contemporary Swedish children's literature, mylings and baby farmers make frequent appearances. A myling is the ghost of a murdered child, destined to haunt and expose its assassin. Baby farmers were women paid to take care of unwanted children but sometimes killed them, either directly or through neglect. Both motifs indirectly address issues of motherhood and mothering, and the aim of this article is to discuss how they are represented in children's literature. In research about motherhood, being a mother is often distinguished from the act of mothering. Motherhood is associated with a biological discourse whilst mothering refers to social practices of care that are associated with the mother but may also be carried out by other people. Both mylings and baby farmers address this distinction but in various ways. In folklore about mylings, the biological mother is traditionally singled out as the infant's killer. This misogynistic discourse is, to some extent, renegotiated in contemporary non-fictional works about Nordic mythology for children. In fictional works, though, the mother is still portrayed as the sole caregiver for the child and the only one to blame for its death, thus disregarding the distinction between motherhood and mothering. Baby farmers are neither mothers nor are they mothering. Children's novels set in the past describe the baby farmer as part of a societal industry where a discrepancy between motherhood and mothering is displayed: children are born but not cared for. However, the burden of guilt is shared amongst various social actors, including the fathers. In Gothic fiction set in a contemporaneous society, the baby farmer reveals a deficit in mothering altogether and offers neglect – an anti-mothering – in its place.

Motherhood can be a stressful and highly demanding role. With the challenges a mother faces, many factors can influence satisfaction a mother experiences in their life. Within the many roles mothers play throughout their lives, mindfulness is found to benefit both women and their children and positively influence mothers’ relationships with their children or partner. This study investigated the role of mindfulness within life satisfaction among mothers’ experiences by examining levels of social support, mother’s age, work-life balance, and socioeconomic status as predictors of life satisfaction when moderated by mindfulness. Participants were sampled through social media including Facebook and Instagram. The Mindfulness in Parenthood Questionnaire (McCaffrey, 2015), Work Life Balance Questionnaire (WLB; Hayman, 2005), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) were used to measure participant’s motherhood experiences and a demographic questionnaire was administered to each participant. A moderation analysis was performed to assess the prediction of life satisfaction from social support, socioeconomic status, work life balance, age, and mindfulness. Overall, the regression models were significant. Together social support, socioeconomic status, work life balance, age, and mindfulness accounted for approximately 53% of the variance in life satisfaction. The mindfulness interactions were not significant. However social support, socioeconomic status, and work-life balance were found to be significant positive predictors of life satisfaction.

Purpose Information seeking for child-rearing is an increasingly popular topic in the medical and social science literature, though a theoretical framework in which to understand this phenomenon is still missing. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The authors present results from a qualitative research in which data were obtained from 21 interviews and the personal experience of one of the authors. Participants were all mothers supportive of attachment parenting, a parenting style inspired by attachment theory which advocates making parenting decisions on a strong basis of information. They were recruited in several Spanish autonomous communities and interviewed between April and July 2015. Findings Results were analyzed using grounded theory and allowed to define five major themes: becoming a mother implies a new perception of oneself in which it is common to feel more in need for information; the need to search for information originates in situations of “conflict” or crisis, or as a consequence of conflicting information; information is judged and weighed on the basis of affect and perceptions; scientific and experiential knowledge are valued as complementary; and finally, information seeking appears as one activity of identity work. Originality/value Placing conflict, instead of uncertainty, at the beginning of the search process allows to emphasize the role of information seeking in mediating relationships and interactions at a societal level. From this point of view, the authors understand that LIS should pay more attention to information seeking as an important factor in social change., Depto. de Biblioteconomía y Documentación, Fac. de Ciencias de la Documentación, TRUE, pub

The research question of the present paper is the following: to what degree (if any) is gender relevant as an explanatory factor in, firstly, the process of assimilation and later, the process of (re)vitalisation of indigenous and minority languages in northern Fenno-Scandia (the North Calotte)? The assimilation of the ethnic groups in question was a process initiated and lead by the authorities in the three different countries. Finland, Sweden and Norway. Nevertheless, members of the indigenous and minority groups also took part in practicing, though, not necessarily promoting, the official assimilation politics, for different reasons. (Re)vitalisation, on the other hand, was initially - and still is - mostly a process stemming from the minority groups themselves, though the authorities to a certain extent have embraced it. The paper thus addresses the question of whether gender played a role in the two different processes, assimilation and (re)vitalisation, and if that was the case, how and why.