Família, cuidado e educação de filhos: concepções e práticas de mães inseridas e não inseridas no mercado de trabalho – estudo de casos múltiplos

Abstract

The inclusion of women in the labor market has had an impact in families and in their childcare practices. This master’s dissertation thus aims to research the concepts and practices of mothers with two- to five-year-old children regarding family, childcare, and child-rearing, comparing the perspectives of mothers who are in the labor market with those who are not. A qualitative method for this study was chosen. Ten middle-class mothers were interviewed; five of whom are in the labor market and five who are not. The mothers were met in a pediatric clinic in Salvador-BA. For data collection, an interview script was constructed with primarily open questions. The researcher invited mothers of children who were treated at the aforementioned clinic to participate in the project, considering the inclusion criteria. The mothers signed the Statement of Informed Consent and were interviewed in locations that were convenient for them. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the responses obtained were described and used to construct categories. This study was approved by the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Research Ethics Committee (COM/UFBA). The main results were as follows: mothers viewed family as the basis of everything and the purpose of their lives. Motherhood was considered a positive – albeit complex – duty. The concepts of child-rearing involved mainly guidance/teaching, the establishment of limits and the transmission of values. The study verified an overload of tasks conferred to the mothers, regarding domestic duties as well as those geared towards childcare and child-rearing. However, it can be stated that the mothers in the labor market have a larger support network in their childcare and child-rearing, which includes relatives and non-relatives people. These duties are shared primarily among women. Their families raise their children by establishing limits and transmitting values and guidance. There appears to be a consensus among the members of the two groups that mothers who are not in the labor market have more time to dedicate to their children. It was also evident that the quality of time available, not only the quantity, must be considered. It can be concluded that motherhood is central to the lives of the women interviewed. Although mothers in the labor market are more overloaded, they have a childcare support network and demonstrate personal and professional satisfaction afforded by their work. Mothers outside the labor market recognize the importance of their presence for their children; however, they sometimes feel suffocated by family demands and wish for time to meet their personal and professional needs. Future studies are needed to further research the complexity of the relationship between family and work.

Keywords: Motherhood; Family; Child-raising; Childcare.

The inclusion of women in the labor market has had an impact in families and in their childcare practices. This master’s dissertation thus aims to research the concepts and practices of mothers with two- to five-year-old children regarding family, childcare, and child-rearing, comparing the perspectives of mothers who are in the labor market with those who are not. A qualitative method for this study was chosen. Ten middle-class mothers were interviewed; five of whom are in the labor market and five who are not. The mothers were met in a pediatric clinic in Salvador-BA. For data collection, an interview script was constructed with primarily open questions. The researcher invited mothers of children who were treated at the aforementioned clinic to participate in the project, considering the inclusion criteria. The mothers signed the Statement of Informed Consent and were interviewed in locations that were convenient for them. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the responses obtained were described and used to construct categories. This study was approved by the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Research Ethics Committee (COM/UFBA). The main results were as follows: mothers viewed family as the basis of everything and the purpose of their lives. Motherhood was considered a positive – albeit complex – duty. The concepts of child-rearing involved mainly guidance/teaching, the establishment of limits and the transmission of values. The study verified an overload of tasks conferred to the mothers, regarding domestic duties as well as those geared towards childcare and child-rearing. However, it can be stated that the mothers in the labor market have a larger support network in their childcare and child-rearing, which includes relatives and non-relatives people. These duties are shared primarily among women. Their families raise their children by establishing limits and transmitting values and guidance. There appears to be a consensus among the members of the two groups that mothers who are not in the labor market have more time to dedicate to their children. It was also evident that the quality of time available, not only the quantity, must be considered. It can be concluded that motherhood is central to the lives of the women interviewed. Although mothers in the labor market are more overloaded, they have a childcare support network and demonstrate personal and professional satisfaction afforded by their work. Mothers outside the labor market recognize the importance of their presence for their children; however, they sometimes feel suffocated by family demands and wish for time to meet their personal and professional needs. Future studies are needed to further research the complexity of the relationship between family and work.

Keywords: Motherhood; Family; Child-raising; Childcare.

The inclusion of women in the labor market has had an impact in families and in their childcare practices. This master’s dissertation thus aims to research the concepts and practices of mothers with two- to five-year-old children regarding family, childcare, and child-rearing, comparing the perspectives of mothers who are in the labor market with those who are not. A qualitative method for this study was chosen. Ten middle-class mothers were interviewed; five of whom are in the labor market and five who are not. The mothers were met in a pediatric clinic in Salvador-BA. For data collection, an interview script was constructed with primarily open questions. The researcher invited mothers of children who were treated at the aforementioned clinic to participate in the project, considering the inclusion criteria. The mothers signed the Statement of Informed Consent and were interviewed in locations that were convenient for them. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the responses obtained were described and used to construct categories. This study was approved by the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Research Ethics Committee (COM/UFBA). The main results were as follows: mothers viewed family as the basis of everything and the purpose of their lives. Motherhood was considered a positive – albeit complex – duty. The concepts of child-rearing involved mainly guidance/teaching, the establishment of limits and the transmission of values. The study verified an overload of tasks conferred to the mothers, regarding domestic duties as well as those geared towards childcare and child-rearing. However, it can be stated that the mothers in the labor market have a larger support network in their childcare and child-rearing, which includes relatives and non-relatives people. These duties are shared primarily among women. Their families raise their children by establishing limits and transmitting values and guidance. There appears to be a consensus among the members of the two groups that mothers who are not in the labor market have more time to dedicate to their children. It was also evident that the quality of time available, not only the quantity, must be considered. It can be concluded that motherhood is central to the lives of the women interviewed. Although mothers in the labor market are more overloaded, they have a childcare support network and demonstrate personal and professional satisfaction afforded by their work. Mothers outside the labor market recognize the importance of their presence for their children; however, they sometimes feel suffocated by family demands and wish for time to meet their personal and professional needs. Future studies are needed to further research the complexity of the relationship between family and work.