Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing
The social isolation resulting from governments' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic likely limited support available to mothers. Evidence suggests tasks like childcare and domestic work fell disproportionately on mothers during the pandemic, with consequences for their wellbeing. We explore how...
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124001293 |
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| author | Anushé Hassan Laure Spake John H. Shaver Mary K. Shenk Richard Sosis Rebecca Sear |
| author_facet | Anushé Hassan Laure Spake John H. Shaver Mary K. Shenk Richard Sosis Rebecca Sear |
| author_sort | Anushé Hassan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The social isolation resulting from governments' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic likely limited support available to mothers. Evidence suggests tasks like childcare and domestic work fell disproportionately on mothers during the pandemic, with consequences for their wellbeing. We explore how the pandemic affected emotional and practical support available to mothers between March and August 2020 and whether changes in support are associated with changes in their paid work and mental health. Data were collected in August 2020 from 1528 UK and US mothers with at least one child under 5-years using a cross-sectional survey and are analysed using regression models. Women's in-person contact with support networks decreased, while virtual interactions increased. Most mothers experienced a ‘nuclearization’ of in-person support: childcare from fathers and siblings increased or remained constant but decreased from the grandparental generation. Women receiving less support during the pandemic had higher odds of reducing participation in paid work. Associations between support and mental health are limited. We also identify women who concurrently experienced reduced support and increased need for help, representing a particularly vulnerable group. The nuclearization of maternal social networks likely increased physical and emotional pressures on the immediate family, risking parental burnout and affecting reductions in female participation in paid labour. There is a need for reliable and affordable childcare options that help reduce women's burden of unpaid care labour, allowing them to re-enter (or remain in) paid labour. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5aa9ab16d8b2409d8ac6b7da22472e6f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-2911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-5aa9ab16d8b2409d8ac6b7da22472e6f2024-11-21T06:05:26ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112024-01-0110100932Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeingAnushé Hassan0Laure Spake1John H. Shaver2Mary K. Shenk3Richard Sosis4Rebecca Sear5Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; Corresponding author.Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, 4400 Vestal Pkwy E, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United StatesReligion Programme, University of Otago, 362 Leith Street, Dunedin North, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand; Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USADepartment of Anthropology & Graduate Program in Demography, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16801, United StatesDepartment of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, United StatesDepartment of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; Centre for Culture and Evolution, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, United KingdomThe social isolation resulting from governments' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic likely limited support available to mothers. Evidence suggests tasks like childcare and domestic work fell disproportionately on mothers during the pandemic, with consequences for their wellbeing. We explore how the pandemic affected emotional and practical support available to mothers between March and August 2020 and whether changes in support are associated with changes in their paid work and mental health. Data were collected in August 2020 from 1528 UK and US mothers with at least one child under 5-years using a cross-sectional survey and are analysed using regression models. Women's in-person contact with support networks decreased, while virtual interactions increased. Most mothers experienced a ‘nuclearization’ of in-person support: childcare from fathers and siblings increased or remained constant but decreased from the grandparental generation. Women receiving less support during the pandemic had higher odds of reducing participation in paid work. Associations between support and mental health are limited. We also identify women who concurrently experienced reduced support and increased need for help, representing a particularly vulnerable group. The nuclearization of maternal social networks likely increased physical and emotional pressures on the immediate family, risking parental burnout and affecting reductions in female participation in paid labour. There is a need for reliable and affordable childcare options that help reduce women's burden of unpaid care labour, allowing them to re-enter (or remain in) paid labour.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124001293Maternal support networksEmotional supportPhysical supportCOVID-19Paid workMental health |
| spellingShingle | Anushé Hassan Laure Spake John H. Shaver Mary K. Shenk Richard Sosis Rebecca Sear Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing Social Sciences and Humanities Open Maternal support networks Emotional support Physical support COVID-19 Paid work Mental health |
| title | Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing |
| title_full | Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing |
| title_fullStr | Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing |
| title_short | Nuclearization of maternal support networks in the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on women's financial and emotional wellbeing |
| title_sort | nuclearization of maternal support networks in the uk and the us during the covid 19 pandemic impact on women s financial and emotional wellbeing |
| topic | Maternal support networks Emotional support Physical support COVID-19 Paid work Mental health |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124001293 |
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