An inside perspective of single mother’s agency in Luxembourg: A qualitative study into the intersectionality of motherhood, gender and marital status

Name and grade of the researcher: Tammy Schmit (Master in Politics and Society, MA Maastricht University)
Language of the presentation: English, vidéo in Luxemburgish

An inside perspective of single mother’s agency in Luxembourg: A qualitative study into the intersectionality of motherhood, gender and marital status

Through an inside perspective of Luxembourgish single mothers, this thesis aims to understand how single mother’s agency manifests itself when facing societal norms and structures. This work draws on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with five single mothers in order to explore in which ways these women challenge as well as reinforce social norms adhered to the construction of single motherhood. I thus contribute to a more nuanced and qualitative understanding of what it means to be a single mother in Luxembourg by demonstrating that these mothers are strong women who have tactics and routines to cope with their difficult life situation.