Negotiating intensive mothering and the gendered politics of active leisure among first time mothers in Canada

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we investigate the meanings and experiences of active leisure among first time mothers. The connection of first time mothers’ experiences to broader concepts such as intensive mothering, social policy, and neoliberalism are also examined within the context of their well-being. Using narrative analysis, 27 interviews were conducted with nine first time mothers participating in three in-person interviews over three months. Five stories were constructed that call attention to the importance of social relationships in creating opportunities for active leisure participation as well as confronting challenges related to the first time mothers’ recovering post-partum bodies. The findings from this study are important to consider for prospective first time mothers and those who wish to support them (e.g. academics, policymakers, sport, leisure, health and social service professionals) as the transition to motherhood may be marked with social isolation, depression, and a need to be connected to others.

Résumé

Cette étude se penche sur le sens que les nouvelles mères accordent aux loisirs actifs, ainsi que sur leur expérience des loisirs actifs. Le lien entre l’expérience des mères pour la première fois et des concepts plus large comme le maternage intensif, les politiques sociales et le néolibéralisme est aussi analysé dans le contexte du bien-être de ces femmes. Vingt-sept entrevues réalisées auprès de neuf nouvelles mères dans le cadre d’une série de trois entrevues en personne sur une période de trois mois ont été soumises à une analyse narrative. Nous avons pu dégager cinq narratifs suggérant l’importance des liens sociaux dans la création d’occasions de participation à des loisirs actifs, ainsi que sur le relèvement des défis physiques post-partum de ces mères pour la première fois. Les résultats de cette étude sont importants à considérer pour les futures nouvelles mères et les divers intervenants (p. ex. chercheurs, décideurs, professionnels du sport, des loisirs, de la santé et des services sociaux) qui s’intéressent à ces questions, car la maternité est parfois marquée par l’isolement social, la dépression et le besoin d’établir des liens avec les autres.

KEYWORDS:

• Active leisure
• intensive mothering
• leisure policy
• post-partum

Mots-clés:

• activités de loisir
• maternage intensif
• politiques en loisirs
• post-partum

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Declarations of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of the article.

Notes

1. In January 2018, the Ontario Early Years Centres, Parenting and Family Literacy Centres, Child Care Resource Centres and Better Beginnings, Better Futures centres became collectively known as the EarlyON Child and Family Centres (Government of Ontario, 2017).

2. The province of Quebec is the exception. Quebec established the Quebec Parental Insurance program (QPIP) in 2006, which differs from the federal plan considerably allowing parents to adjust duration and benefit rates as they see fit and offers fathers 5 weeks of non-transferable parental leave.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grant Number 430-2013-000777). Role of the funding source: The funding source had no involvement in the research design, writing of the report or decision to submit the article

Notes on contributors

Dawn E. Trussell

Dawn E. Trussell (PhD) is an associate professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University, Canada. Her research focuses on leisure and sport culture in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. She is the President of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies and is a Chancellor’s Chair for Research Excellence at Brock University.

Shannon Hebblethwaite

Shannon Hebblethwaite (PhD) is professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal and an affiliated member of engAGE: Concordia’s Centre for Research on Aging and CREGES (Centre for Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology). Her research centres around social inclusion for marginalized groups with a specific focus on older adults and leisure in families.

Trisha M. K. Xing

Trisha M. K. Xing is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University, Canada. Her research interests are child and youth development through recreation and leisure, as well as leisure and the transition to motherhood. Her current dissertation research focuses on the transformative potential of pre- and post-natal yoga during the transition to motherhood.

Stephanie Paterson

Stephanie Paterson (PhD) is professor in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. She is an expert in feminist and critical policy studies, with interests in feminist governance and reproductive politics and motherhood.

Meredith Evans

Meredith Evans (MPPPA) is the Associate Registrar, Academic Records, Policies and Exams at Concordia University in Montreal Quebec. She completed her Master of Arts degree in public policy and public administration with a research focus on federal-provincial relations in international trade policy.