An ethnography of low-income mothers' safeguarding efforts

Children living in lower-income environments are at greater risk for unintentional injuries. However, little is known about the safety practices of mothers living in low-income situations. This ethnographic study explored the child safeguarding experiences of low-income mothers using in-home intervi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of safety research 2008-01, Vol.39 (6), p.609-616
Main Authors: Olsen, L., Bottorff, J.L., Raina, P., Frankish, C.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anthropology, Cultural
Child safety
Children & youth
Ethnography
Female
Household accidents & safety
Humans
Injuries
Injury prevention
Interviews as Topic
Low income groups
Mothering
Mothers
Mothers - psychology
Pilot Projects
Poverty - psychology
Qualitative methods
Qualitative Research
Risk Factors
Safety
Social Environment
Social Perception
Social Support
Socioeconomic Factors
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Summary:Children living in lower-income environments are at greater risk for unintentional injuries. However, little is known about the safety practices of mothers living in low-income situations. This ethnographic study explored the child safeguarding experiences of low-income mothers using in-home interviews and observations. Mothers' safeguarding efforts included cognitive and emotional work, child directed work, and work directed at the physical and social environments. Factors that influenced the women's safeguarding included the quality of the indoor space, availability of safe play space, traffic hazards, sibling interactions, child care supports, relationships with neighbors, and trust in community services. These findings have implications for the conceptualization of safeguarding practices and provide insight about the experiences of mothers living on low-incomes. When developing safety interventions, program planners should consider the views and practices of mothers as well as contextual factors in the physical and social environments.
ISSN:0022-4375
1879-1247
DOI:10.1016/j.jsr.2008.10.006