Maternal Mediation in the Context of Fathers' Incarceration and Reentry

Objective We sought to develop grounded theory regarding how mothers who share children with an incarcerated father mediate between men and their offspring. Background Mothers' mediation can be situated at the intersection of their motherwork and their prison work. Motherwork (Collins, 1994) re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Family relations 2021-02, Vol.70 (1), p.146-161
Main Authors: Arditti, Joyce A., McGregor, Casey, Dennison, Susan, Johnson, Shawnice, Besemer, Kirsten
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Caregivers
Children & youth
children with incarcerated parents
Collins, Patricia Hill
Correctional Institutions
Counseling
Criminals
Disengagement
Families & family life
Family Involvement
Fathers
Female offenders
Females
gatekeeping
Grounded theory
Imprisonment
Justice
Labor
Males
Mediation
Men
Mothers
motherwork
Parent Child Relationship
Parents & parenting
paternal incarceration
prison work
Prisoners
Prisons
Reentry
Unpaid
Women
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Summary:Objective We sought to develop grounded theory regarding how mothers who share children with an incarcerated father mediate between men and their offspring. Background Mothers' mediation can be situated at the intersection of their motherwork and their prison work. Motherwork (Collins, 1994) refers to the paid and unpaid labor that mothers on the margins do to support their families and foster their children's survival. Prison work (Codd, 2007) involves the invisible labor of supporting persons during their incarceration and reentry. A focus on maternal mediation as a proximal process that bears on justice‐involved families acknowledges the inherent tension between these domains. Method We conducted a secondary analysis of interview data from 16 Australian mothers who had at least one child whose father had a history of incarceration. Results We identified four patterns of maternal mediation: facilitation, monitoring, constraint, and disengagement. These types connected to aspects of women's motherwork, as well as the intensity of their efforts to support children's fathers. Conclusion Mediation is a form of women's prison‐motherwork, which reflects complex and shifting strategies that are influenced by children's developmental needs and preferences, mothers' feelings about children's fathers and their importance in children's lives, and time. Implications Women would benefit from having specialized support and counseling throughout their partner's (or former partner's) carceral confinement and reentry.
ISSN:0197-6664
1741-3729
0197-6664
DOI:10.1111/fare.12526