Mothers Of Primary School Children Research Articles

Maternal Parenting Practices and Psychosocial Adjustment of Primary School Children

This study was aimed at evaluating the associations between maternal parenting practices (positive, negative/inconsistent, and punitive), children’s difficulties (such as conduct problems, emotional symptoms, peer problems, and hyperactivity), and prosocial behaviors. Participants were 131 Italian mothers of primary school children; mothers were aged between 26 and 52 years (M = 38.38, SD = 5.46); children (54% girls) were aged between 6 and 10 years (M = 7.15, SD = 0.98). Mothers completed two scales assessing their parenting practices and their children’s psychosocial adjustment. A path analysis was run to test the hypothesized model. The results showed the following: (a) maternal positive parenting was negatively and significantly related to children’s conduct problems and hyperactivity, and positively and significantly to children’s prosocial behavior; (b) maternal negative/inconsistent parenting was positively and significantly related to children’s conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and hyperactivity; (c) maternal punitive parenting was positively and significantly related to children’s conduct problems and emotional symptoms. Moreover, the results showed that, according to the mothers’ perceptions, boys tended to exhibit higher levels of hyperactivity and peer problems and lower levels of prosocial behaviors than girls. Overall, this study highlights the unique role of different maternal parenting practices in the psychosocial adjustment of primary school children.

Oral health related knowledge, attitude and behavior among group of mothers in relation to their primary school children's oral health: a cross-sectional study.

The etiology of oral diseases in children is complex and multifactorial. The oral health of children can be influenced by various factors, including parental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, as well as socioeconomic status. The objective of this study was to assess, among mothers of children aged 6-12 years, (1) mothers' knowledge about their children's oral health, (2) mothers' attitude toward their children's oral health, and (3) mothers' dental behavior concerning their oral health and to evaluate their influence on their children's dental caries. This cross-sectional study involved three questionnaires to be filled in by mothers of primary school children in addition to an oral examination of their children to measure decayed, missing, filled teeth for primary (dmft) and permanenet (DMFT) dentitions. The mother-child pairs were recruited through multistage stratified random sampling of primary schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was comprised of four sections: 1-demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status 2-Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (mothers' attitudes and behavior pertaining to their oral health) 3-mothers' knowledge regarding the oral health of their children 4-mothers' attitude toward their children oral health. A total of 1496 mother-child pairs completed the study. The mean values of dmft were 4.08 ± 3.47; DMFT was 1.82 ± 2.07; total dmft and DMFT were 5.65 ± 4.05. According to the questionnaire results, mothers in private schools had a more favorable attitude and behavior toward their oral health, as well as a more favorable knowledge and attitude toward their children's oral health. The multiple linear regression model revealed that children's dmft/DMFT scores were significantly related to mother education, mother questionnaire scores, and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Children's oral health is significantly impacted by oral health-related knowledge, attitude and behaviors of their mothers in addition to income status and education level.

Vírushelyzet után: szülői mediáció és veszélyérzékelés

"The issue of parental mediation of children's use of technology has become increasingly prominent in recent years in both academic and policy discourse (Kutrovácz et al., 2018:47)." The theory of parental mediation refers to parental efforts and attempts to mitigate and prevent potential risks associated with children's digital media use. The main objective of my exploratory research is to investigate the mothers of primary school children living in a small urban setting in Szeklerland regarding their perceptions of the dangers they perceive during their children's use of the internet and ICT devices. My aim is to identify, through semi-structured interviews, the dangers that the interviewees perceive in their regulatory practices, following an inductive research strategy. Of the threats identified, two are discussed and presented in more detail in the study.

Knowledge and Attitude of Mothers regarding Nocturnal Enuresis and its Management among Primary School Children

A descriptive study was conducted on knowledge and attitude of mothers regarding nocturnal enuresis and its management among primary school children. The target population was mothers of primary school children. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 100 mothers of primary school children at selected areas of Hassan. The self administered structured questionnaire and attitude scale was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding nocturnal enuresis and its management among mothers of primary school children. Overall findings of the study clearly showed that 55 percent of the mothers had inadequate knowledge and 91 percent of the mothers had neutral attitude regarding nocturnal enuresis and its management. There is a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = +0.184). There is no significant association between knowledge and attitude with selected socio demographic variables. Regarding the demographic variables, 51 percent of them were in age group of 26-30 years, all were Hindus and married, majority (81%) of sample had secondary education, 76 percent of samples were housewife, majority (75%) were belongs to nuclear family, 72 percent of samples had two children, and 78 percent of them had information from relatives, friends, neighbors. The overall mean knowledge and attitude scores were 48.30 percent with SD 3.441 and 68.65 percent with SD 5.81 respectively

LIFESTYLE FACTORS AND RISK OF OBESITY AMONG THE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KHULNA CITY

As childhood obesity is increasing in urban areas, this study was designed to explain the association of lifestyle-related factors with obesity among primary school children in the Khulna City of Bangladesh. Data were collected from 257 purposively selected mothers of primary school children. A semi-structured interview schedule was used for data collection during February and March 2019. Findings indicated that a significant proportion of the teenagers were obese (44%). Results from regression analysis revealed that children having health problems, frequency of meals taken per day, and time spent in outdoor games have a significant association (p < 0.05) with childhood obesity. Moreover, children having health problems (AOR = 4.941; 95% CI: 2.273-10.745; p < 0.001), taking meals more than three times in a day (AOR = 24.534; 95% CI: 10.024-60.046; p < 0.001), and spending less time in outdoor games (AOR = 2.736; 95% CI: 1.242-6.028; p < 0.05)) were more likely to be obese. The study suggests that parents should motivate their children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. In addition, adequate playgrounds for children can help to prevent obesity and should be prioritized in the management of childhood obesity.

The Role of Culture and Contextual Risk for Maternal Parenting and Children’s Behavior Regulation in Chile and Germany

Children’s behavior regulation development takes place in diverse sociocultural settings. In this study, we take a multilayer ecological perspective and examine cross-cultural as well as intra-cultural similarities and differences in relations between different aspects of contextual risks (i.e., family and neighborhood risk), maternal restrictive control, and children’s behavior regulation in Chile and Germany. One hundred sixty-seven mothers of primary school children in Chile and 109 mothers in Germany (total sample M (child age) = 10.01 years) completed questionnaires on family risk, parenting practices, and their child’s behavior regulation. Mothers in Germany rated children’s behavior regulation significantly higher than mothers in Chile. Further, in both cultural contexts (Chile, Germany), the higher the family risk, the higher was the use of maternal restrictive control and the lower the child’s behavior regulation. In Chile, after including maternal restrictive control, the relation between family risk and children’s behavior regulation remained significant. In Germany, in contrast, there was no direct significant relation between family risk and children’s behavior regulation, instead we found a significant indirect pathway via maternal restrictive control. Further, we investigated the moderating role of neighborhood risk, as distal contextual risk, for the relation between family risk and maternal restrictive control as well as for the relation between maternal restrictive control and children’s behavior regulation. We found no significant overall moderated mediation effect. However, findings in Chile and Germany revealed a conditional indirect effect indicating that family risk and behavior regulation were indirectly related via maternal restrictive control only when neighborhood risk was high. This underlines the need for an integrative consideration of the cultural context as well as family risk and neighborhood risk when investigating the role of maternal parenting for children’s behavior regulation development.

Behavioural Determinants for Hand Hygiene Practices among Primary School Children during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Children acquire SARS CoV-2 infection from their family members but they experience mild symptoms. Hand washing promotion programs are being executed in many countries to enhance child healthcare development. Objective: This study was designed to identify behavioural determinants to increase hand washing practices among primary school children during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted by the Department of Pediatrics, King Edward Medical University/ Mayo Hospital, Lahore from June to November 2020. Total of 195 mothers of primary school children were enrolled by non-probability consecutive sampling. A 23-item, 5 points likert scale questionnaire assessed 5 domains related to handhygiene. Data was entered in SPSS 24. Domains were presented as frequency tables. Independent sample t-test was applied to 8 mean score of sub-category of each domain, and to cumulative mean score of each domain. A cut off mean score of ≥3 was taken as satisfactory. Results: We found satisfactory mean scores amongst mothers for knowledge regarding the importance of hand-washing (3.59±0.62), and commitment regarding maintenance of hand-hygiene (3.44±0.773). Better mean score for liking hand washing with alcohol rub/sanitizer than with soap and water (3.14±1.063 versus 1.10±1.229) was seen. Children reported not feeling dirty if they did not practice hand-hygiene (2.99±1.195). Elders in the households promoted hand-washing, but lacked practicing it themselves (3.48±0.881 versus 2.85±1.242). There was below satisfactory mean score for hand-hygiene amongst children after sneezing, coughing, blowing their nose, or playing (2.50±1.253, 2.23±1.265, 2.27±1.301, 2.83±1.280 respectively). Norm and self-efficacy factors had adequate overall scores (3.17±0.84, 3.17±0.65). The total score for this study was 2.8759±0.419. Conclusion: We found satisfactory mean scores for risk, attitudes, norms, ability, and self-regulation factors of handhygiene among primary school children.

ONLINE LEARNING AND PARENTAL STRESS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC; A STUDY AMONG MOTHERS OF LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KERALA.

This study focuses on the stress level of the mothers of primary school children due to online learning, during Covid-19 pandemic. The researcher used descriptive research method with a quantitative approach for the study. The universe is the total number of mothers of primary school children in Kerala. The researcher used snowball sampling method. Sample size was 120. The researcher used structured survey design for collecting data. The method was conducted using online survey through social media. The instrument used is perceived stress scale (PSS) by Sheldon Cohen. The study-ndings reveal that there are 83 percent of the respondents who have children of lower primary school studying from home following COVID-19 pandemic, are having moderate level of stress. Social workers can provide mental health support to the mothers of lower primary school children who are having stress through District Mental Health Program (DMHP) identify by the eld workers like ASHAs, JPHNs and JHIs.

Socio-demographic Determinants of Overweight and Obesity Among Mothers of Primary School Children Living in a Rural Health and Demographic Surveillance System Site, South Africa

Background:South Africa continues to have significant high prevalence rate of overweight/obesity relative to its African counterparts, particularly, among women, owing to several factors such as nutrition transition and socio-demographic factors. Nonetheless, little is known about the socio-demographic determinants of overweight/obesity, especially in the rural settings.Objective:To investigate the socio-demographic determinants of overweight and obesity among mothers of primary school children living in a rural Dikgale Health and Demographic Surveillance System Site in South AfricaMethods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 508 mothers of primary school children from a rural setting. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing the body weight by height squared and the prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25–29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) were determined. The socio-demographic variables were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to ascertain any relationships with overweight/obesity as an outcome measure. Data were analyzed using STATA 14.Results:The response rate was 98%. The mean age of mothers was 37±7years. Mothers were charecterized by singlehood (63%), unemployed (82%) and low literacy (41%). The odds of being overweight/obese were significantly higher among mothers living with spouses as household heads (AOR=3.5 95%CI: 1.97-6.31), had two to three pregnancies (AOR=2.4, 95%CI: 1.40-4.20), and five pregnancies and above (AOR=2.5, 95%CI: 1.0-6.37). Mothers who lived in households with a monthly income between $344.84 and $524,60 were less likely to be overweight or obese (AOR=0.31 95%CI: 0.14-0.70). Additionally, age, marital status and age at first pregnancy were significantly associated with being overweight/obese (χ2test, p<0.05).Conclusion:The key determinants of overweight/obesity were living in spouse-headed household, household monthly income and more than one pregnancy. Evidence-based strategies that focus on strengthening the social aspects while addressing overweight and obesity among mothers of primary school children living in a rural Dikgale HDSS site, South Africa.

Chinese mothers’ intention to vaccinate daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV), and their vaccine preferences: a study in Fujian Province

ABSTRACT Little is known regarding Chinese mothers’ intention to vaccinate their daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) since the HPV vaccine was approved for use in China in 2016. The aim was to explore maternal HPV vaccination acceptance, preference for 2-, 4- or 9-valent HPV vaccine and acceptance of domestically manufactured HPV vaccines. Study participants were mothers of primary school children in Southeastern region of Fujian. An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken between June and August 2019. Among the total of 3,586 completed responses (response rate 28.5%), the intention to vaccinate daughter against HPV was high (83.3%). Higher maternal education and perceived benefit and barriers were associated with greater intention to vaccinate. Among mothers who did not intend to vaccinate their daughters, the three most common reasons were daughter being too young to receive HPV vaccination (40.6%), fear of side effects (31.9%) and vaccine price is too high (16.0%). The largest proportion (41.4%) preferred their daughter to be vaccinated with the 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV). Greater preference for 9vHPVwas strongly associated with higher maternal education level and annual household income. The majority of mothers expressed a preference for imported HPV vaccine (56.3%). Our result indicates that lower intentions to vaccinate daughters against HPV among less educated and lower-income mothers may lead to significant social inequalities in HPV vaccine uptake in the country.

Awareness and attitude of mothers of primary school children towards child sexual abuse in Tamil Nadu, India

Background: Child sexual abuse leads to several adverse impacts in the affected children. A study on awareness and attitude of mothers towards child sexual abuse will help to formulate better techniques to improve awareness and prevent child sexual abuse. The objective is to study the awareness and attitude of mothers of primary school students towards child sexual abuse.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was done in the state of Tamil Nadu, India among 186 mothers of primary school children. Data were collected from the mothers using a predesigned questionnaire and analyzed.Results: Only 12.9% of the mothers were aware of the POCSO Act and 32.8% were aware of the child helpline 1098. 76.9% of the mothers were aware of unexplained genital injury as a physical indicator of child sexual abuse. Acute traumatic response (83.9%) and regression in behavior (82.8%) were the commonly aware behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse. Only 25.3% of the mothers believed that boys can be sexually abused. 75.3% of the mothers believed that the offenders were usually unknown persons. 88.7% of the mothers believed that unaccompanied children were a risk factor. 88.2 % of the mother believed that physical and mental disability in children was a risk factor. Majority of the mothers believed that streets (88.7%) and institutions (80.1%) were the common environment for child sexual abuse. Only 23.7% of the mothers had taught regarding good touch and bad touch to their children. 50.5 % of the mothers believed that the major role in preventing child sexual abuse is played by the parents.Conclusions: Awareness regarding child sexual abuse was low among the mothers of primary school children.

Psychological morbidity and parenting stress in mothers of primary school children by timing of acquisition of HIV infection: a longitudinal cohort study in rural South Africa

Longitudinal maternal mental health data are needed from high HIV prevalence settings. The Siyakhula Cohort (SC) is a population-based cohort of HIV-positive and negative mothers (n=1506) with HIV-negative children (n=1536) from rural South Africa. SC includes 767 HIV-negative mothers; 465 HIV-positive in pregnancy; 272 HIV-positive since pregnancy (n=2 missing HIV status). A subgroup (n=890) participated in a non-randomized breastfeeding intervention [Vertical Transmission Study (VTS)]; the remaining (n=616) were resident in the same area and received antenatal care at the time of the VTS, but were not part of the VTS, instead receiving the standard of care Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Programme. In secondary analysis we investigated the prevalence of, and factors associated with, psychological morbidity amongst mothers who were still the primary caregiver of the child (1265 out of 1506) at follow-up (7-11 years post-birth). We measured maternal depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder Scale-7) and parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index-36), using standardized cut-offs and algorithms. In total, 75 (5.9%) mothers met criteria for depression, 37 (2.9%) anxiety and 134 (10.6%) parenting stress. Using complete case logistic regression (n=1206 out of 1265 mothers) as compared to being HIV-negative, testing HIV-positive in pregnancy doubled odds of depression [adjusted odd ratios (aOR)=1.96 [1.0-3.7] P=0.039]. Parenting stress was positively associated with acquisition of HIV after pregnancy (aOR=3.11 [1.9-5.2] P<0.001) and exposure to household crime (aOR=2.02 [1.3-3.2] P=0.003); negatively associated with higher maternal education (aOR=0.29 [0.1-0.8] P=0.014), maternal employment (aOR=0.55 [0.3-0.9] P=0.024). Compared with the standard of care PMTCT, VTS mothers had reduced odds of parenting stress (aOR=0.61 [0.4-0.9] P=0.016). Integrating parental support into mostly bio-medical treatment programmes, during and beyond pregnancy, is important.

Świadomość matek dzieci w okresie wczesnoszkolnym dotycząca profilaktyki wad postawy ciała

Świadomość matek dzieci w okresie wczesnoszkolnym dotycząca profilaktyki wad postawy ciała

Maternal Competition in Women

We examined maternal competition, an unexplored form of competition between women. Given women's high investment in offspring and mothers' key role in shaping their reproductive, social, and cultural success as adults, we might expect to see maternal competition between women as well as mate competition. Predictions about the effect of maternal characteristics (age, relationship status, educational background, number of children, investment in the mothering role) and child variables (age, sex) were drawn from evolutionary theory and sociological research. Mothers of primary school children (in two samples: N=210 and 169) completed a series of questionnaires. A novel nine-item measure of maternal competitive behavior (MCQ) and two subscales assessing Covert (MCQ-C) and Face-to-Face (MCQ-FF) forms of competition were developed using confirmatory factor analysis. Competitiveness (MCQ score) was predicted by maternal investment, single motherhood, fewer children, and (marginally) child's older age. The effect of single motherhood (but not other predictors) was partially mediated by greater maternal investment. In response to a scenario of their child underperforming relative to their peers, a mother's competitive distress was a positive function of the importance she ascribed to their success and her estimation of her child's ability. Her competitive distress was highly correlated with the distress she attributed to a female friend, hinting at bidirectional dyadic effects. Qualitative responses indicated that nonspecific bragging and boasting about academic achievements were the most common irritants. Although 40% of women were angered or annoyed by such comments, less than 5% endorsed a direct hostile response. Instead, competitive mothers were conversationally shunned and rejected as friends. We suggest that the interdependence of mothers based on reciprocal childcare has supported a culture of egalitarianism that is violated by explicit competitiveness.

Breakfast barriers and opportunities for children living in a Dutch disadvantaged neighbourhood

The objective of this study was to explore parents', children's, and experts' beliefs and experiences about breakfast motivation, opportunity, and ability and elicit their thoughts on effective interventions to encourage healthy breakfast consumption. The setting was a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Focus groups with mothers and children and semi-structured individual interviews with experts were conducted. Interview guides were developed based on the motivation, opportunity, and ability consumer psychology model. Thirty-two mothers of primary school children participated in five group discussions, eight focus groups were conducted with 44 children, and nine experts participated in interviews. Data from expert interviews and group discussions were coded and thematically analysed. The following themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) generally high motivation to have breakfast, (2) improved performance at school is key motivator, (3) limited time hinders breakfast, and (4) lack of nutritional knowledge about high quality breakfast. Experts mentioned lack of effort, knowledge, and time; financial constraints; and environmental issues (food availability) as barriers to breakfasting healthily. Several ways to encourage healthy breakfasting habits were identified: (1) involvement of both children and parents, (2) role models inspiring change, and (3) interactive educational approaches. Experts perceived more problems and challenges in achieving healthy breakfast habits than did mothers and children. Lack of opportunity (according to the children and experts) and ability (according to the experts) were identified, although the motivation to eat a healthy breakfast was present. Predominant barriers are lack of time and nutritional knowledge. Overall, findings suggest educational and social marketing approaches as interventions to encourage healthy breakfast consumption.

Why do mothers encourage their children to control their weight? A cross-sectional study of possible contributing factors

BackgroundMothers encouraging their children to control their weight is problematic as it is associated with children’s body dissatisfaction and weight concerns as well as further weight gain. The aim of this study was to identify factors in children and mothers associated with mothers encouraging their children to control their weight and possible gender differences therein.MethodsCross-sectional questionnaire data was available from 1658 mothers of primary school children (mean age 7.1 ±0.6 years, 50.4% boys) participating in the Baden-Württemberg Study. Children’s body weight and height were measured in a standardised manner. Logistic regressions were computed separately for boys and girls, adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from the final model are reported.Results29% of children were encouraged by their mothers, girls (32.4%) significantly more often than boys (25.6%). Child BMI (girls OR 1.77, CI 1.57 to 1.99; boys OR 1.88, CI 1.66 to 2.13), and child migration background (girls OR 2.14, CI 1.45 to 3.16; boys OR 1.60, CI 1.07 to 2.37) were significantly associated with encouragement by mothers. For girls, maternal body dissatisfaction (OR 1.59, CI 1.10 to 2.30) and maternal perception of a low influence on health (OR 0.51, CI 0.29 to 0.89) were also significantly associated with maternal encouragement. For boys, this was true of mothers self-efficacy to influence their children’s physical activity (OR 0.58, CI 0.40 to 0.85).ConclusionDifferent factors are associated with mothers encouraging boys and girls to control their weight. Identifying correlates and underlying processes of maternal encouragement can inform preventive measures targeting weight and eating related problems in children.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Malay version comprehensive feeding practices questionnaire tested among mothers of primary school children in Malaysia.

Comprehensive feeding practices questionnaire (CFPQ) is an instrument specifically developed to evaluate parental feeding practices. It has been confirmed among children in America and applied to populations in France, Norway, and New Zealand. In order to extend the application of CFPQ, we conducted a factor structure validation of the translated version of CFPQ (CFPQ-M) using confirmatory factor analysis among mothers of primary school children (N = 397) in Malaysia. Several items were modified for cultural adaptation. Of 49 items, 39 items with loading factors >0.40 were retained in the final model. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the final model (twelve-factor model with 39 items and 2 error covariances) displayed the best fit for our sample (Chi-square = 1147; df = 634; P < 0.05; CFI = 0.900; RMSEA = 0.045; SRMR = 0.0058). The instrument with some modifications was confirmed among mothers of school children in Malaysia. The present study extends the usability of the CFPQ and enables researchers and parents to better understand the relationships between parental feeding practices and related problems such as childhood obesity.

The parenting dimensions of British Pakistani and White mothers of primary school children

AbstractThere is increasing emphasis internationally on the use of parenting programmes to support the development of appropriate social behaviour in children. However, in such programmes diversity is often ignored. Research into the parenting styles and practices (dimensions) of different ethnic groups is needed in order to investigate the applicability of universal programmes, to guide their design and implementation in the future. Thirty‐four British Pakistani and 34 British White mothers of primary aged children, comprising equal numbers of males and females, completed English or Urdu versions of the Parental Dimensions Inventory—Short Version (PDI‐S), (Power, Int. J. Behav. Dev. 67: 302–313) and a child behavioural screening instrument, the SDQ (Goodman, J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 38: 581–586).More similarities than differences between the parenting dimensions of Pakistani and White mothers were found overall. However, compared with White mothers, Pakistani mothers reported more ‘following through on discipline’ as well as ‘reminding’ as a disciplinary action. Further, Pakistani mothers reported following through on discipline more with boys than White mothers did and the more they reported inconsistent parenting, the more their children reportedly had behaviour problems. It is concluded that while these findings provide some support for the cross‐cultural applicability of generic parenting programmes, programme efficacy studies are also needed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

`Class Acts': Educational Involvement and Psycho-Sociological Class Processes

This article draws on the accounts of mothers of primary school children in Britain in order to explore the influence of social class in women's lives. It examines psycho-sociological class processes and their formative impact on female subjectivity through a focus on data from a study of mothers' involvement in their children's schooling. These processes become very apparent when mothers talk about their children's schooling, revealing emotive intimacies of class that impact on both their attitudes and their actions. The article concludes that we need to develop approaches in which psychological and sociological understandings are woven together to reveal the complex strands that make up class in contemporary society.

The fallacy of easy access

This article explores both ethical and methodological issues arising from feminist research which seeks to highlight diversity among women. Differences between women influence all aspects of the research process,including access. The article questions assumptions that female researchers' access to other women is unproblematic and draws on the author's experience of in-depth interviews with mothers of primary school children. It raises questions around the availability of women's time and the ethics of pursuing reluctant respondents, as well as the influence of complex and shifting differentials of power, which flow between researcher and researched. The article argues that it is important to recognise and articulate one's own subjectivity as a feminist researcher in order to more fully understand the research process.