Being a 'Good Mother': Navigating 'National' Motherhood Ideals and the Realities: Post-Socialist (Muslim) Migrant Mothers and the Femonationalist Political Narrative in Sweden

• In Event: “Good Mothers” and (Nation)lisms: The Case of Lithuania, Authoritarian Russia, and of the Postsocialist Migrant Mothers in Sweden

Abstract

The presentation explores new femonationalist discourses on migrant mothers in Sweden and translocal practices of mothering by migrant women from Central Asia and the Caucasus there. The central focus of this presentation are the practices, priorities, and values of mothering among mothers who were born and raised in a (post)Soviet, Muslim-majority country in Central Asia or the Caucasus region, and who have been residing in Sweden for several years. The presentation is based on interviews with mothers of underage children collected in 2023. Despite their diverse backgrounds and social positions in Sweden, these mothers share common experiences shaped by migration and mothering. Many are well-educated and hardworking, yet they often face precarious labor conditions, working in low-paid jobs while striving to provide for their children. At the same time, these mothers adopt a reflective stance toward their backgrounds. They view their Soviet heritage as both promising and demanding, while Islam remains an integral part of their cultural identity, even as they critically engage with its gendered norms. A central aspect of mothers translocal positionality is their approach to motherhood. Rather than adhering to a single, predefined model, these mothers engage in an ongoing process of negotiation. They assess and respond to their children’s needs based on material and social conditions, mobilizing resources to secure better opportunities while navigating between different ideals of mothering. At times, they embrace, resist, or reject norms from both their countries of origin and Swedish society, demonstrating a fluid and strategic approach to mothering.

Author

• Soheyla Yazdanpanah, Södertörn U (Sweden)