Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 10-1-2022
Abstract
Objective: The study aimed to explore how mother–child interactions shape Chinese rural–urban migrant women's maternal guilt, and vice versa. Background: Migrant mothers are documented to experience intense feelings of guilt due to long-term separation from their children. Research on maternal guilt frequently conceptualizes guilt as a negative self-judgement of mothers without considering the bidirectional interplay between mother–child interactions and mothers' guilt feelings. Method: Data were drawn from semistructured interviews with 24 Chinese rural–urban migrant mothers who voiced profound guilt for leaving their children behind. The research was carried out following a grounded theory approach. Results: Results demonstrate left-behind children's power to elicit, exacerbate, and alleviate their mothers' guilt, which in turn prompts migrant mothers to engage in a wide range of compensatory practices to remedy their relationships with their children. Conclusion: These interpersonal dynamics highlight the relational nature of maternal guilt; the double victimization, both by public discourses and family members, experienced by migrant mothers; and the mutual support that can be offered between mothers and children. Implications: Mother–child interactions should be considered when studying maternal guilt. Findings from this study have important implications for policy making and interventions to support migrant families.
Digital Commons @ LMU & LLS Citation
Li, M. (2023). Guilt and compensation: The interplay between maternal emotions and parent–child relationships in migrant families. Family Relations,72(4), 1607–1624. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12784
