“Virtual Mothering”
A Study of Mothering Practices of Trinidad and Tobago Mothers Stranded Abroad After Covid-19 Border Closures
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21638469 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cheryl-Ann Sarita Boodram (0000-0003-4615-733X, Department of Behavioral Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publication date | 2024-09-24 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Family Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1066-4807 • E-ISSN: 1552-3950 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10664807241283037 |
| OpenAlex | W4402759281 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 31 |
The COVID-19 pandemic presented threats to the welfare of children and families due to spatial distancing measures, disruption of employment, virtual learning, changes in caregiving, and social isolation. Many studies highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the caregiving practices of mothers. However, little is known about the experiences of mothers who were separated from their children because of COVID-19 border closures. This study used a qualitative methodology to explore the lived experiences of five Trinidad and Tobago mothers stranded abroad and shows the ways in which the COVID-19 border closures altered their caregiving practices with children left behind. Findings show that mothers stranded abroad encountered several challenges in negotiating the physical distance away from their children and the ways that stranded mothers developed digital transnational mothering practices to alleviate the tensions of spatial separation from their children. Although borders have since re-opened, this article argues that the impact of separation between mothers and their children may have lasting effects. The study provides family support professionals and policymakers with an understanding of the experiences of mothers abroad and the need to lend specialized support to this vulnerable group
Developmental psychology · Sociology · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration · Gender Studies · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs · Medicine · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Psychology
Phenomenological research methods
Research design
Risk and resilience in family well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mothering from a Distance
Embodied Resilience
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families
Baby steps
Children of Global Migration
Women’s and men’s work, housework and childcare, before and during Covid-19
The mental health of Korean transnational mothers
Migrant mothering and mobile phones
Mothers, childcare duties, and remote working under Covid-19 lockdown in Italy
Cause for concerns
The stories that tell us
Globalisation and social work education in the Republic of Ireland
Unwed single mothers in South Korea
Overseas Filipino Workers and Text Messaging
Qualitative inquiry and research design
Mobile phone parenting
I'm Here, but I'm There
Honor and Virtue
When Paid Work Invades the Family
Changes in US Parents' Domestic Labor During the Early Days of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Integrating Family Resilience and Family Stress Theory
Conceiving and Investigating Motherhood
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |