Moderskab og feminisme - Belyst ud fra enemorfamilien

Abstract

Feminism's relationship to maternity as a part of women's lives has been marked by ambivalence and doubt. Feminist analyses has concentrated on maternity as a sphere for socialpolitical intervention and on the cultural representations of motherhood. But maternity as part of almost every womans life and lived expericence has been seen by feminists as a major arena for patriarchal oppression and reproduction of traditional gender roles and therefore analysed with doubt and distrust. In the article I argue for the need for a feminist research on the phenomenology of maternity. The empirical investigation of family strategies and maternity in 25 Danish single mother families, carried out by the author, showed an example of maternity as a base for autonomy and selfdetermination. The single mothers emphasized that their children and their work was their basis in life. Maternity was a source of pride and empowement for the mothers. The possibility to make their own decisions regarding themselves and their children was mentioned as a major advantage. The single mother's experiences raise the question if maternity as autonomy and selfreliance is only possible outside two parent relationship. The author argues, that this is not the case, but the development of a nurturing fatherhood which takes repronsibility for nuturing values both in private life and in relationship to the labour market and social policy is a prerequisite.

Perspectives on the Social Conditions of People Engaged in Same-Sex Relations

“…Living as a single parent in a self-determined mode of life that implies organizing intimacy and care around a network of friends and biological kin, and choosing to do without sexual relationships, is a pattern found in Denmark (Bak 1997). Moreover, statistics show that single parenting represents an increasing demographic trend.…”

Townships in Transition: Women's Caring Keeps the Township Together*

“…We also see how in European feminist studies the everyday practice of motherhood and women's own perceptions and interpretations of motherhood were long neglected and subsumed in studies of the family as one major locus of patriarchal power structures. 30 Walker is especially interested in women's social identity as mothers, in 'the subjective dimensions of motherhood and how women who are mothers themselves feel and think about this role and relationship' as part of a distinctive social group, that of mothers. In this reflection, she finds further support in Giddens's discussion of self-identity and the role of reflexivity and of social actors' own agency in constructing their identities.…”

När den goda viljan inte finns. Om frånvarande fäder i kontaktfamiljsinsatsen

“…Ingen av dem har förväntningar på ett delat föräldraskap, utan snarare på ett parallellt föräldraskap, dvs. en far som har kontakt med sitt barn men inte är ett stöd för modern (Bak 1997). Inte ens detta har de vid intervjutillfället lyckats uppnå.…”

“…Det är i flertalet fall främst mödrarna som håller fast vid faderskapets betydelse. De kan ibland i flera år ha beredskap och förhoppningar om att fadern ska ta sitt ansvar -trots hans oförutsägbarhet och bristande stöd (se även Bak 1997). Att det dessutom är mödrarna som tar på sig ansvaret för kontakten mellan far och barn tycks anses vara helt i sin ordning.…”