‘I have to be at home’: Place and gender among student-mothers in higher education

Abstract

Mothers who study in higher education (HE) experience many roadblocks that typical traditional students do not. These challenges are most referred to in terms of a lack of time to dedicate to their responsibilities as students and carers. However, there is an overlooked relation between student-mothers’ identities and space, considering the classic dichotomy of private/home space and the public sphere that had prevented many women to study. Based on interviews (N=4) and one focus group (N=3) with student-mothers at a prestigious university in Scotland, this research examines their place in HE in the United Kingdom. Data analysis revealed that these students’ mobilities are constrained by their caring responsibilities but that they also challenge established gendered norms by building bridges between their homes and public spaces. Moreover, although all these students are marginalised due to their motherhood, other axes of power impact on their educational experiences. This paper provides an original contribution to discussing gendered spatial norms and accessibility of educational spaces using intersectional lens and moves the academic debate forward by exploring not only the spatial relations that constrain, but are also produced by, these mothers.