Carrying the mother's load: mothers' perceptions of economic security in families with children in Finland

Abstract

PurposeEconomic security is a social phenomenon that is fundamental in understanding the well-being of individuals and families with children. The aims of this study are to analyse and discuss the multidimensionality of economic security and how Finnish mothers perceive it.Design/methodology/approachWe use data from 21 interviews with mothers in Finland in 2024. The data are analysed using theory-informed qualitative content analysis.FindingsThe mothers view economic security as inherently multidimensional. It includes access to sufficient financial resources to secure socially accepted living standards with freedom of choice and trust in the future. The mothers' economic security is also relational: it is affected by social surroundings and by the opportunity to practise good mothering when meeting the needs of their children.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a foundation for further research on the economic security of families with children.Social implicationsThe findings contribute to developing policy and services with which to address the needs of families with children and creating societal circumstances that support family economic security.Originality/valueThe study analyses the views of the economic security of mothers with children, which have not been studied extensively. It provides theoretical and empirical insight into the multidimensional and relational construction of economic security with a qualitative approach.