Abstract
The article presents the results of the analysis of women’s life stories whose parental rights are terminated. The applied sociological research is conducted in three Russian regions: Belgorod, Saratov regions and the Trans-Baikal Territory in 2017. The main method for the collection of primary data is the depth interview (n = 15). The study evaluates the analysis of an individual case and the reconstruction of frames which are based on the observed practices of destructive maternity, and help to identify two main strategies of women’s behavior referring to the role of “mother”. The first strategy is related to the place of motherhood in the self-identity system that means the stronger the awareness of a woman herself as a “parent”, the more likely the child will be returned home. One of the most stimulating factors increasing the maternal awareness is the influence of woman’s immediate environment, including members of extended family or a new spouse. The second strategy demonstrates conscious changes in women’s life trajectories regarding voluntary renunciation from the role of parent under difficult circumstances. The subjective paradigms of the second strategy, based on the self-excuse (the child will be better in an orphanage or in a foster family) and are accompanied by the identity crisis and the deep degradation of woman’s personality.
Highlights
The conceptual framework of the interdisciplinary study of social orphanhood’s problems is primarily in the fields of sociology, law, education, and psychology
Some studies focus on life trajectories of incarcerated women as a reason of orphanhood (Kruttschnitt & Bijleveld, 2017); others bring attention to the special turning points in women’s lives and illuminate relationships between identity, learning and agency that develop through work, family and life experiences (Evans & Biasin, 2017); the third put some stress on the role of parent substance abuse and its influence on danger to children (Kepple, 2017), while the fourth group of scientists show the correlation between prolonged interpersonal childhood trauma in institutional settings and motivation capacities in adulthood (Weindl, Knefel, Glück, Tran, & Lueger-Schuster, 2017)
The research of life trajectories of parents who’s parental rights are terminated allows to divide them into four groups: (1) in the first group most of parents do not have clearly articulated goals for the further life perspective and do not make any attempts to change their life style and return the custody of their children; (2) parents of the second group show the intention to change the situation in the marriage, parenting other children; (3) the third group of informants demonstrate the potential to return their children, making positive personality changes; (4) respondents of the fourth group, whose children are in kinship care have very low motivation to restoration of their parental rights (Volkova, Beschetnova, Mozgovaya, Babintsev, & Zhirov, 2017)
Summary
The conceptual framework of the interdisciplinary study of social orphanhood’s problems is primarily in the fields of sociology, law, education, and psychology. Sociology of childhood (MayorovaShcheglova, 2013) pays particular attention to methodological principles of up-bringing and education of children in bio-families and in out-of-home care. Some studies focus on life trajectories of incarcerated women as a reason of orphanhood (Kruttschnitt & Bijleveld, 2017); others bring attention to the special turning points in women’s lives and illuminate relationships between identity, learning and agency that develop through work, family and life experiences (Evans & Biasin, 2017); the third put some stress on the role of parent substance abuse and its influence on danger to children (Kepple, 2017), while the fourth group of scientists show the correlation between prolonged interpersonal childhood trauma in institutional settings and motivation capacities in adulthood (Weindl, Knefel, Glück, Tran, & Lueger-Schuster, 2017).
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