Being an immigrant mother in Norway: a study of immigrant mothers’ experiences of their life-worlds and perceptions of Child Welfare Services

Abstract

The aim of the research was to explore the meanings that Romanian immigrant mothers in Norway give to their life-worlds. It sought to understand the experiences that frame the mothers’ opinions of welfare institutions, in particular Child Welfare Services (Barnevernet: in Norwegian). This was done in order to get knowledge of how their opinions affect their lives and that of their children. Influenced by the phenomenological tradition and adopting the ethnographic method, data were collected through semi-structured narrative interviews and participant observation. The sample was composed by four Romanian mothers who live in Stavanger and Sandnes. The researcher previous relationship with two of them, and her insider-outsider position were one of the strengths of the study due to the rich data that this made possible to collect. The exploration was framed by the perspectives of acculturation, intersectionality, social capital and poststructural feminism. Data revealed different acculturation strategies and conceptualizations of children and socializing agents among the sample. Two of the mothers were found to embrace a separation strategy, which was characterized by maintaining their own culture and separating from the host society. Among the effects of separation were stress, isolation and distancing their children from Norway. Those who adopted an integration and/or assimilationist strategy shared values and meanings with the Norwegian socializing agents. Regardless of the acculturation strategy, distrust in welfare institutions and perceptions of discrimination were present. The study concluded that by getting closer to users, it would be possible to get an understanding of their opinion forming processes of welfare institutions. Making their voices visible is necessary for professionals, academics and policymakers to understand the fears and distrust that are leading to the isolation and psychological problems of these families.