Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cultural Resources and the Transition to First-time Motherhood

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1031571 PI: Robert B. Willer Co-PI: Sarah B. Garrett Institution: University of California, Berkeley How do one's cultural resources such as one's skills, styles, and ways of understanding the world shape the experience of becoming a mother for the first time? This study is designed to enrich research on motherhood and evaluate and elaborate a well-established theory of how culture works in everyday life. The mixed-method, longitudinal study collects survey data from pregnant women at diverse institutions in Northern California, and pre- and post-partum interview data from a subset of these women. Broader Impacts: This study will illuminate a historically understudied life stage while simultaneously representing the experiences of less privileged women and women of color, who have been largely excluded from social science accounts of motherhood. This research will be shared with academic audiences, expectant parents, and prenatal care providers.