‘The children, the family, the household, and myself, these made the quarantine up for me, and I was really happy with it’ – positive evaluations of the first COVID-19 lockdown among middle-class Hungarian mothers

Nikolett Somogyi*, Beáta Nagy, Réka Geambaşu, Orsolya Gergely

*Korrespondierende*r Autor*in für diese Arbeit

Publikation: Wissenschaftliche FachzeitschriftOriginalbeitrag in FachzeitschriftBegutachtung

Abstract

During the first COVID-19-related lockdown in the spring of 2020, working parents of young children were in difficult situation when having to manage the multiple burdens. In the studied societies, unpaid household tasks are considered to be primarily female responsibilities, intensive mothering ideals are widespread, and the access to flexible-work arrangements is marginal. In present study, we demonstrate how the above characteristics, created a context, in which – despite the difficulties – participants could evaluate this period overall
positively during the first lockdown. Fifty-two interviews were conducted with partnered Hungarian mothers living in Hungary and in Transylvania (Romania), in May–June 2020. Since the home-sphere became the main scene of life during the lockdown, women’s caregiving role has increased in worth. Performing it
well provided them an increased wellbeing benefit, and it helped them to evaluate the lockdown period positively. They appreciated having the longed-for opportunity to telework, which enabled enacting intensive mothering in a better accordance with social expectations than before the pandemic.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)1904-1922
Seitenumfang19
FachzeitschriftJournal of Family Studies
Jahrgang29
Ausgabenummer4
Frühes Online-Datum27 Juli 2022
DOIs
PublikationsstatusElektronische Veröffentlichung vor Drucklegung - 27 Juli 2022
Extern publiziertJa

Österreichische Systematik der Wissenschaftszweige (ÖFOS)

  • 502027 Politische Ökonomie

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