The Lived Experiences of Working Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This interpretive phenomenological, longitudinal study aimed to explore the lived experiences of working mothers in Northern England during the COVID-19 lockdown. Using a novel WhatsApp interview method,  ‘real-time’ data was collected from 63 mothers at four time-points June-December 2020, and  retrospective in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 mothers from the sample in March 2021. Data analysis was underpinned by Van Manen’s (1990) existentials of lived experience. Four themes emerged from the data relating to adapting and accepting change (lived time); negotiating blurred boundaries between work and home within a confined and multi-purpose physical space (lived space); meeting the expectations of significant others (lived other) and coping with increased mental and physical workload (lived body). The essence of lived experience underpinning these themes was that a deafening silence was present in mothers’ accounts of their experiences, as they negotiated unrealistic boundaries to meet their own and significant others’ expectations of their multiple roles within the home space. Given the significant gender inequality described by mothers in heterosexual partnerships with regards to unpaid domestic labour and childcare in this study, further research is being developed to explore the implications of home-working for mothers in the post-pandemic era. 

Team: Dr Joy Probyn

Collaborator: Dr Eileen Cunningham, MMU.