Development of first-time mothers' sense of shared identity and integration with other mothers in their neighbourhood

Abstract

Mothers’ social integration with other mothers in the same residential area has been shown to be beneficial for their health and well-being. The socio-psychological resources afforded by other mothers aid the transition to motherhood. However, much less is known about the processes whereby mothers integrate with other local mothers. Therefore, we analysed first-time mothers’ experiences of social integration with other mothers in the same neighbourhood. Through three waves of semi-structured interviews, we followed eight Finnish first-time mothers’ everyday lives for a year. The narrative analysis of these longitudinal interviews revealed three story types – social integration, social exclusion and social disconnection – that depicted mothers’ different experiences of integration with other local mothers. The perceived similarity of experiences, goals and interests related to motherhood enhanced the development of a shared sense of identity and supported integration with other local mothers. We discuss our findings in relation to the social identity model of identity change (SIMIC).