Gender, Religion, and Ambivalent (Non-)Motherhood: Christian Women's Experiences in Belgium and the Netherlands

Descrizione del progetto

Donne cristiane che sfidano le aspettative convenzionali sulla maternità

Sebbene siano stati compiuti notevoli progressi verso la parità di genere, in Europa ci si aspetta ancora spesso che le donne considerino la maternità come una componente fondamentale della propria identità; all’interno delle tradizioni cristiane, questa aspettativa è ulteriormente rafforzata da credenze che la considerano una vocazione sacra. Sostenuto dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto GRACE mira ad approfondire le esperienze di donne cristiane in Belgio e nei Paesi Bassi che non si conformano a tali norme. Il progetto tratterà diverse forme di ambivalenza legate alla maternità, tra cui la scelta di non avere figli e la situazione di non averne involontariamente, analizzando il modo in cui queste donne affrontano le aspettative sociali e religiose e la misura in cui si trovano a dover affrontare situazioni di disuguaglianza o esclusione.

Obiettivo

Despite advances in gender equality, women across Europe are still widely expected to desire and pursue motherhood as a central part of their identity. In Christian contexts, these pressures are often heightened by teachings and norms that present motherhood as a sacred duty and spiritual calling. GRACE investigates the lived experiences of Christian women in Belgium and the Netherlands who do not conform to these gendered religious and social expectations. It does so by developing and using the concept of ambivalent (non-)motherhood, which includes, for example, not wanting children, involuntary childlessness, childlessness by circumstance, regret over becoming a mother, and ambivalent feelings about the maternal role. This project addresses an urgent societal need: dominant social and religious expectations of motherhood reinforce social inequalities, especially for the many Christian women whose experiences deviate from these ideals and who may face stigma, silence, or exclusion. Academically, GRACE responds to two significant gaps: the fields of gender studies and motherhood studies have largely overlooked religious women, while religious studies has paid limited attention to how female believers navigate motherhood and non-motherhood, particularly in relation to ambivalent (non-)motherhood. The project is innovative in bringing together gender studies, motherhood studies, and religious studies through a multi-method ethnographic design that offers participants a choice of three qualitative approaches—participant observation, ethnographic interviews, and written life narratives. Hosted at Uppsala University under the supervision of Prof. Jenny Björklund, an expert in gender and (non-)motherhood, the fellowship will provide advanced theoretical training and new methodological expertise, positioning me as a leading researcher at the intersection of gender, religion, and (non-)motherhood.