Tornando-se mãe na pandemia da covid-19: tecendo redes coletivas de significados

Abstract

A new environment with a traumatic potential was established in Brazil, and in much of the world, modifying established routines in terms of work, social, emotional and economic relationships, lifestyle habits, socializing and care for children. These abrupt changes, due to the relative suspension of social, economic and constant health care activities, have changed since the Covid-19 pandemic, caused by the new coronavirus SARS-COV-2, was identified. The pandemic spread in a scenario marked by gender, economic and social inequity, and political polarization. It is possible to observe the intensification of inequalities in the motherhood experience where women needed to face the challenge of reconciling childcare and responding to domestic and professional demands marked by social distancing restrictions. The general objective of the research was to understand the experiences of motherhood, analyzing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the subjectivity of women who became mothers. Based on critical social psychology, the research method and analyzes were constructed. The following means were used to construct the research corpus: the following research techniques were used: (a) Sociodemographic Questionnaire, (b) Questionnaire on Motherhood Experiences in the Covid-19 Pandemic, (c) Online Listening Group, during the pandemic (2021) (d) Field Diary and (e) post-pandemic narrative interviews (2023). For analyzes and interpretations, Winnicottian theory, feminist theory and René Kaës' proposal on groups were used. In total, 22 women who became mothers during the pandemic were accessed, of which 8 participated in the Listening Group. It can be seen that social distancing made it difficult to activate support networks and caused a feeling of helplessness and loneliness in the search to become good enough mothers, which is why they reported situations of overload and difficulties in managing personal and professional demands. with the designs arising from motherhood. Furthermore, they show the importance of collective networks that can support the unique experience of being a mother in a pandemic environment, as it was observed, both in the group and in the interviews, that these mothers felt the need to talk about this experience in group contexts. , where collective dialogues enhanced the fabric of meanings and helped them through impasses and the reinvention of “good enough” mothering even in a traumatic environment.