Even in Iceland? Exploring mothers’ narratives on neighbourhood choice in a perceived classless and feminist utopia

Abstract

The study explores how mothers in Iceland, a relatively new nation state, and one that is perceived as gender equal, classless and homogeneous, adapt and respond to international trends of consumer cultures. Building on studies about neighbourhood choices of parents, parental practices and reproduction of social class the study's aim is to examine the local manifestations of those in an international context. To reach this aim, nine interviews with middle-class mothers who live in either disadvantaged or privileged neighbourhoods in terms of income, education level and ethnicity were analysed.Our findings on middle-class anxiety over class-reproduction that is mediated by neighbourhood and school choice are in coherence to the vast international literature. Our findings part with those internationally documented in the way social capital reproduction plays out in the most affluent neighbourhood and the importance the most affluent middle class mothers put on closeness to their extended families.

Inclusive education in the diversifying environments of Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands: A multilingual systematic review

“…Yet similar patterns of neighbourhood and school segregation that have been recently reported in the Netherlands (Boterman, 2018), are emerging on a smaller scale in Finland (Bernelius and Vaattovaara, 2016; Bernelius and Vilkama, 2019) and Iceland (Auðardóttir et al, 2020; Dovemark et al, 2018; Lundahl, 2016; Magnúsdóttir et al, 2020) despite egalitarian policies being in place for the past three decades (Marinósson and Bjarnason, 2014). In summary, although all three countries wrestle with questions of widening social inclusion and exclusion, their approach to inclusion appears as a spectrum of policy and outcomes (see Table 1), and the inclusive practices vary between all three case countries.…”

Chaos ruined the children’s sleep, diet and behaviour: Gendered discourses on family life in pandemic times

“…We argue that Iceland provides an interesting setting for this study as it has a well‐entrenched welfare system in terms of childcare, which has made it possible to combine parenting with paid employment. It has also embraced neoliberal ideas which see child‐rearing as an individual responsibility and enterprise (Auðardóttir & Magnúsdóttir, forthcoming; Clancy, 2020; Güney‐Frahm, 2020; McRobbie, 2013). Before we present our study, we discuss the discursive context around parenting in Iceland.…”

‘I am the black duck’ affective aspects of working-class mothers’ involvement in parental communities

“…Andrea's and the other mothers' hesitation towards parental cooperation is clearly affected by the symbolic violence enacted upon them throughout their schooling. However, our current social climate of consumerism of parental practices, that we also see signs of in Iceland (Auðardóttir and Kosunen 2020;Auðardóttir and Magnúsdóttir 2020), frames their hesitation as immoral and a failure to live up to the expectation for the responsible mother.…”

“…A recent study with Icelandic compulsory school staff found that a staggering 98% of them said that it was desirable to have parents attend social events in the school (Jónsdóttir 2013). Furthermore, there are indications that the increased emphasis on parental involvement in children's schooling is now, also in Iceland, used by the middle-and upper-class mothers to secure the social and academic success of their children (Auðardóttir and Magnúsdóttir 2020;Auðardóttir and Kosunen 2020). A recent study also highlighted the importance of organisation, structure, positivity and educative work in the social construction of the 'good and worthy' parent, in particular mother, in Iceland (Auðardóttir and Rúdólfsdóttir 2021).…”