The Academy, the Prison and the Psychiatric Hospital: How Each Affects Mothering Occupations (Panel)

This presentation will focus on the experiences of mothering occupations as they are impacted by the physical contexts of the academy, the prison and the psychiatric hospital. Each presenter is firmly grounded in the ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner and associates (1983; 1998) and the occupational therapy presenters are further grounded in the writings of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (1997). Elizabeth Francis will describe the experiences of women faculty members at a Midwestern university and how they view their mothering occupations within the academic environment. Against a background of past research that highlights gender disparity in the academy, mothers in the academy are doing a second shift at home, while often being perceived to be less committed to academic work thereby compromising their promotion potential. The findings of this study indicate that many of the women interviewed chose to work in the academy for the flexibility that this environment offers in terms of scheduling their own time. Additionally, developing a support network was key to feelings of competence as a mother and success in the university environment. More than 1.3 million minor children in the United States have mothers who are under correctional sanction (Greenfield & Snell, 1999). From her own personal experience of working with women who are in prison, Jose found that 80% are mothering. Though not an occupational therapy practitioner, Cristina Jose, a developmental psychologist, will describe the occupational deprivation (Whiteford, 2000) that mothers who are in prison experience and their struggles to mother in spite of their unsupportive context. She will also present the Children’s Visitation Program that allows mothering to continue for women in prison. Elizabeth McKay will present her study of the occupational interruption that occurred in the lives of four Scottish women who live with enduring mental illness. What emerges will be an affirmation of the significance and meaningfulness of mothering for these women who received little or no support for these occupations either from mental or social services. Aspects of the cultural, social and institutional contexts will be examined as they restrict women’s needs and abilities to mother