Bryce, Carol (2014) Feeding pre-school children : negotiating good motherhood through food. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

Preview

PDF WRAP_THESIS_Bryce_2014.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (1023Kb) | Preview

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Food retains a central importance in family life, which extends beyond its nutritional necessity. Through in-depth interviews with 39 mothers of pre-school children, this study focuses on how mothers negotiate the complex and competing priorities of feeding their children. Mothers are expected to feed their children, according to expert definitions of appropriate nutrition, whilst taking account of individual food preferences and structural constraints. The ways that feeding children intersects with the construction of ‘good’ mother or how mothers negotiate external information and advice on feeding their children has not been the focus of much research. This research considers these issues at a time when government policy remains focused on health, lifestyles and obesity. This study shows that mothers feel the responsibility of motherhood strongly whilst accepting their accountability. It also shows that feeding children is one of the main concerns of mothers of young children and one that occupies a great deal of time. By talking to mothers of different ages and living in different social circumstances, this study shows that all mothers accept the links between food and health and all take account of these links as they look to their children’s future health. All mothers seek external sources of information and advice but sources differ with mothers’ age and social class. Expertise is found not to be the preserve of those with formal qualifications as mothers talked of how expertise is negotiated. Mothers therefore work hard to negotiate their own versions of good motherhood through their food decision-making. By focusing on the aspects of feeding children that are considered the most important at any given time, mothers are able to negotiate their own sense of good motherhood.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Infants -- Nutritution, Children -- Nutritution, Children -- Health and hygiene, Mothers -- Attitudes, Mothers -- Great Britain -- Interviews
Official Date:	May 2014
Dates:	Date Event May 2014 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Sociology
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Dowler, Elizabeth, 1951- ; Throsby, Karen, 1968-
Extent:	308 leaves
Language:	eng

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads