Project description
Marginalised parenthood in western European modernist fiction
The portrayal of non-traditional parenthood in western European modernist fiction (circa 1900–1940) remains poorly understood. This era, characterised by social, political and sexual upheaval, includes themes of same-sex caregiving, adoptive or single parenting, interracial relationships and mixed feelings about parenting. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SPEM project will introduce the term ‘shadow parenthood’ to describe marginalised forms of care lacking legal recognition, thereby expanding the definition of parenthood. By analysing modernist works, this study will challenge traditional kinship models and highlight cultural differences between northern and southern Europe. The project contends that modernist literature helps reimagine kinship and supports Horizon Europe’s goals by illustrating how cultural representations shape social structures.
Objective
Shadow Parenthood in European Modernism (SPEM) investigates how Western European modernist fiction (c.1900–1940), written amid intense social, political, and sexual upheaval, depicted non-traditional parenthood—namely same-sex caregiving, adoptive or single parenting, interracial relationships, and ambivalent attitudes towards parenting, including reluctance, regret, or refusal. SPEM introduces the term shadow parenthood to describe these emotionally complex but socially marginalised forms of, or orientations towards, care that lack legal, biological, or institutional status. Like a shadow extending from its figure, these roles expand notions of who counts as a parent while revealing how social expectations about reproduction shape family and belonging—even for those resisting such norms. Analysing twelve modernist works (mainly novels, some plays), the project shows how these texts challenge dominant kinship models through their subject matter and narrative techniques. Its comparative approach further highlights differences between Northern and Southern European representations of shadow parenthood, shaped by distinct cultural contexts. Methodologically, SPEM combines close reading (fine-grained textual analysis) with insights from anthropology and sociology on kinship, as well as digital humanities tools that enhance both analysis and accessibility. Together, these elements ensure a fully interdisciplinary approach. Ultimately, SPEM argues that by depicting such non-traditional forms of care, modernist literature did not merely reflect its time but made an overlooked contribution to reimagining kinship beyond institutional models, anticipating and influencing contemporary debates on reproductive justice, care, and belonging. In doing so, the project supports Horizon Europe’s Cluster 2 goals by demonstrating how cultural imaginaries shape both inclusive and exclusionary social structures.
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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75270 Paris
France
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