Polish low-income mothers: conversions of human, social and cultural capitals through their lifetime

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to identify the human, social and cultural capitals of Polish low-income mothers, and to reconstruct the capitals’ conversion. The research was carried out using the method of (auto)biographical interview rooted in the tradition of symbolic interactionism, while data (autobiographical narratives about life) were collected in two Polish cities as part of the ISOTIS project, using the narrative interview technique developed by Schütze [(2008). Biography analysis on the empirical base of autobiographical narratives: How to analyse autobiographical narrative interviews – part one. European Studies on Inequalities and Social Cohesion, 1, 153–242], which was adapted by the ISOTIS project team. The analysis of women’s autobiographical narratives made it possible to reconstruct the events that were significant to them and the resources that they activated in everyday situations, compensating for the shortage of material capital. Recognition of the sequences of process structures occurring in the biographies revealed the narrators’ attitude to certain phases in their lives and the dominant forms of their activity that influenced their decisions and choices.

KEYWORDS:

• human capital
• social capital
• cultural capital
• low-income mothers
• narrative interview method
• autobiographical narratives

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement No. 727069.

Notes on contributors

Katarzyna Gajek

Katarzyna Gajek – a social pedagogue, a Doctor of Humanities in the discipline of Education, and an assistant professor at the University of Lodz, Department of Social Pedagogy. She is the author of the book The Experience of Domestic Violence. Autobiographical Narratives of Women. Her research areas include Gender Studies, the phenomenon of violence (domestic violence, bullying, human trafficking), social exclusion and empowerment processes, qualitative research methods (especially biographical studies, critical discourse analysis).

Paulina Marchlik

Paulina Marchlik – a researcher and academic teacher at the University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education; Doctor of Social Sciences (Education). Her research interests include qualitative research methods, youth at risk and early leaving from education and training.