University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations Spring 2011 Living Liminality: Maternal Subjectivity in the Context of Raising Children With Autism Jennifer Kim Bateman University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Child Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, and the Personality and Social Contexts Commons Recommended Citation Bateman, Jennifer Kim, "Living Liminality: Maternal Subjectivity in the Context of Raising Children With Autism" (2011). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 331. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/331 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/331 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Living Liminality: Maternal Subjectivity in the Context of Raising Children With Autism Abstract Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first ewf years of life. Research shows that mothers do the bulk of the parenting work in raising children with special needs, including autism. Despite the prevalence of autism, a dearth of literature considers, as central, the maternal experience in raising a child with special needs. This qualitative study focuses on the disorder of autism with the objective of elucidating how the context of autism shapes maternal meaning-making and subjectivity. Additionally, this dissertation examines how mothers of children with autism construct or reconstruct their meanings of motherhood as a result of their maternal experiences. Grounded theory methods were employed in order to develop theory from the conceptualization of the data. The investigation consisted of in-depth audio taped interviews with 15 mothers of a child diagnosed with autism and participant observation in monthly parent support groups in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Results showed that the experiences of raising a child in the current sociohistorical context of autism give rise to distinct maternal practices and perceptual processes that, over time, shape maternal subjectivity. More specifically, the context of autism is shaped by the experience of liminality, that is, the experience of existing between conditions that is characterized by the dislocation of established contexts, structures and systems and ongoing uncertainty regarding the future. For the subjects involved in this study, the experience of living liminality facilitated the development of distinct orienting contexts for making- meaning and navigating intrapersonal and interpersonal experiences that, in turn, manifested in a reappraisal and reconstruction of maternal subjectivity. These findings have implications for professionals and practitioners who work with mothers and families whose lives are shaped by autism. Recognition of mothers’ meaning-making and coping can influence the efficacy of eatmenttr approaches for mothers raising children on the spectrum, in addition to family therapy approaches, and child-based educational and therapeutic efforts. By making these experiences evident, this study contributes to the body of feminist psychological literature that challenges and extends mainstream conceptualizations of mothers, motherhood, and maternal development. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Education First Advisor Diana Slaughter-Defoe Second Advisor Katherine Schultz Third Advisor Milagros Cordero Keywords Autism, Maternal Subjectivity, Child Development Subject Categories Child Psychology | Developmental Psychology | Personality and Social Contexts This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/331 LIVING LIMINALITY: MATERNAL SUBJECTIVITY IN THE CONTEXT OF RAISING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Jennifer K. Bateman A DISSERTATION in Education Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2011 Supervisor of Dissertation Co-Supervisor Signature _____________ Signature ______________ _ Diana Slaughter-Defoe Katherine Schultz Endowed Chair Dean of School of Education Graduate Group Chairperson ____Signature______________________ Stanton E. F. Wortham, Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dissertation Committee Diana Slaughter-Defoe, Clayton Professor of Urban Education, Endowed Chair Katherine Schultz, Professor of Education, Dean of School of Education Milagros J. Cordero, Ed.D. LIVING LIMINALITY: MATERNAL SUBJECTIVITY IN THE CONTEXT OF RAISING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM COPYRIGHT 2011 Jennifer K. Bateman DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to Claudia and Andrew Lynn for your endless support and encouragement well beyond the bounds of this research endeavor. The unceasing love, kindness, and generosity that you have shown to me and your confidence in me, as a mother, has been fundamental in making meaning of my own maternal journey. The grace, patience, and support that you demonstrate, as parents and grandparents, has helped me to embrace the challenges and blessings of raising a special needs child and has provided me with a clear vision of the type of mother I hope to be. This dissertation is also dedicated to Canyon. Your light has transformed me in every possible way. You have shown me the ways in which I need to grow and have forever altered my worldviews. My journey as your mother has made me a more engaged, present, contented and fulfilled person than I ever would have been. The blessings that you have brought to my life have changed me as a mother and person, indelibly. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is a pleasure to acknowledge my advisor, Dr. Diana Slaughter-Defoe. Without your guidance and supervision I would never have been able to finish this work. I am endlessly grateful for the balance of support, understanding, and patience that you have shown me over the course of many years. Your encouraging words, thoughtful criticism and patience at critical junctures in my life course and research trajectory have facilitated the completion of this life goal and have been incredibly instrumental for shaping the direction of my career. I am extremely grateful to the mothers whose stories frame this dissertation. Mothers’ insights into their own experiences, and their honesty regarding their deepest sorrows and greatest joys have shed light on this important topic. These stories have inspired me and have helped me to make meaning of and cope with my own storyline. I want to also acknowledge the gracious mentorship of Dr. Katherine Shultz who has taught me that rigorous scholarship can be tied to one’s own intrapersonal growth, that social change is central to intellectual work, and that scholars have a responsibility to use the privileges of academia to imagine and create a better world. iv ABSTRACT LIVING LIMINALITY: MATERNAL SUBJECTIVITY IN THE CONTEXT OF RAISING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Jennifer K. Bateman Diana Slaughter-Defoe Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first few years of life. Research shows that mothers do the bulk of the parenting work in raising children with special needs, including autism. Despite the prevalence of autism, a dearth of literature considers, as central, the maternal experience in raising a child with special needs. This qualitative study focuses on the disorder of autism with the objective of elucidating how the context of autism shapes maternal meaning-making and subjectivity. Additionally, this dissertation examines how mothers of children with autism construct or reconstruct their meanings of motherhood as a result of their maternal experiences. Grounded theory methods were employed in order to develop theory from the conceptualization of the data. The investigation consisted of in-depth audio taped interviews with 15 mothers of a child diagnosed with autism and participant observation in monthly parent support groups in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Results showed that the experiences of raising a child in the current sociohistorical context of autism give rise to distinct maternal practices and perceptual processes that, over time, shape maternal subjectivity. More specifically, the context of autism is shaped v by the experience of liminality, that is, the experience of existing between conditions that is characterized by the dislocation of established contexts, structures and systems and ongoing uncertainty regarding the future. For the subjects involved in this study, the experience of living liminality facilitated the development of distinct orienting contexts for making-meaning and navigating intrapersonal and interpersonal experiences that, in turn, manifested in a reappraisal and reconstruction of maternal subjectivity. These findings have implications for professionals and practitioners who work with mothers and families whose lives are shaped by autism. Recognition of mothers’ meaning-making and coping can influence the efficacy of treatment approaches for mothers raising children on the spectrum, in addition to family therapy approaches, and child-based educational and therapeutic efforts. By making these experiences evident, this study contributes to the body of feminist psychological literature that challenges and extends mainstream conceptualizations of mothers, motherhood, and maternal development. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .............................................................................................................