Project description DEENESFRITPL Factors influencing breastfeeding in culturally different countries Breastfeeding holds a position of significant importance in Europe. Finland boasts a breastfeeding rate of 95 %, whereas Ireland falls below 60 %. These countries encounter common challenges, such as budget constraints, inadequate support, pressures from the formula industry and the sexualisation of breasts. The MSCA-funded INFEDE project seeks to investigate the factors that influence mothers’ decisions regarding feeding in these culturally distinct nations and to deliver innovative research on women’s experiences in both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. The project will explore cultural expectations and infant feeding policies in Ireland and Finland, shedding light on how this practice is influenced by personal, cultural and societal factors. It will employ a combination of content and narrative analysis methods. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective The aim of the project is to critically examine the factors influencing mothers’ decisions on infant feeding in two different cultural locations: Ireland and Finland and to provide innovative research on women’s experiences of breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. The project highlights that infant feeding decisions are not made independent of social and cultural context. There are two specific objectives: 1) To explore and identify the cultural expectations and policies concerning infant feeding in Ireland and Finland. This objective is the groundwork for RO2, and informants are people working and volunteering in breastfeeding associations and midwife organizations. 2) To research infant feeding as a contextual practice that has personal, cultural, and social levels. This is achieved by analysing the interview narratives conducted with mothers from both countries while being sensitive to intersectional differences and socially constructed subject positions. The research method is qualitative and has an interdisciplinary approach combining content analysis and narrative analysis methods with gender studies, media studies and sociology. An intersectional reading is used while analysing the data. The project contributes to the research of infant feeding and breastfeeding which is set as a health priority throughout Europe. The reasons behind breastfeeding or bottle feeding are various and this research adds knowledge and understanding to the different levels of infant feeding. The breastfeeding rates in selected countries are very different; in Finland over 95 % of mothers initiate breastfeeding while in Ireland the rates are much lower and little more than 60 % are breastfed. This makes Ireland’s breastfeeding rates one of the lowest in the EU. Still, both countries are affected by the savings targeted to maternity services, the lack of support in the early days of mothering, the pressures of profit gaining formula industry, and the constant sexualisation of breasts. Fields of science social sciencessociologygender studies Keywords Mothering Infant feeding decisions Contextuality Intersectionality Programme(s) HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme Topic(s) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01 - MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 Call for proposal HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships Coordinator NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH Net EU contribution € 215 534,40 Address CO KILDARE W23 Maynooth Ireland See on map Region Ireland Eastern and Midland Mid-East Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data
