Perceptions of Motherhood Among Israeli Religious and Haredi Mothers of Children on the Autism Spectrum: From “I feel Like with Him I’m Lost” to “It’s a Gift in My Life”
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Mothers of children on the autism spectrum cope with numerous difficulties associated with raising a child with a complex disability. Religious belief is perceived as a resource for coping with the difficulty. This study examined the uniqueness of the perception of motherhood among Israeli national-religious and Haredi mothers of children on the autism spectrum ages 10–19 with various levels of function, using 12 semistructured interviews which were analyzed by a full content analysis according to grounded theory. The interviews revealed that the mothers perceived their motherhood as an ongoing process that is accompanied by a journey of self-awareness. The transition from feelings of helplessness, frustration, and guilt to feelings of growth and development from the crisis, as well as movement from total motherhood and attentive motherhood, reflect this process. A dichotomous distinction of motherhood emerged between how the participants related to other mothers of children on the autism spectrum and to mothers of typically developing children. The religious beliefs expressed by the participants touched on coming to terms with reality, belief as an anchor, belief that life invites inner progress, belief in future reward, and belief that their situation is a test from God or, alternatively, a punishment from God. The study contributes to knowledge of perceptions of motherhood by mothers of children on the autism spectrum, unique to national-religious and Haredi mothers in Israel.
期刊介绍:
Pastoral Psychology, founded in 1950, is one of the most well-established and respected journals in the field of psychology and religion/spirituality. Pastoral Psychology is an international forum that publishes scholarly, peer-reviewed original articles that address varied aspects of religion and spirituality from physical, human science, and interfaith perspectives.
Historically, the word “pastoral” has referred to the care of individuals, families, and communities. Today, we additionally consider “pastoral” in terms of lived experience as it relates to embodiment, the social-political, economic, spiritual, and environmental dimensions of life.
All theoretical perspectives are welcome, as Pastoral Psychology regularly publishes articles from a variety of schools of thought, including, but not limited to, psychoanalytic and other dynamic psychologies, cognitive psychologies, experimental and empirical psychologies, humanistic psychology, transpersonal psychology, and cultural psychology. Insights from existential perspectives, intersectional theories, philosophical and theological theories, gender and queer studies, sociology, anthropology, public mental health, and cultural and empirical studies are welcome. Theoretical contributions that have direct or indirect relevance for practice, broadly construed, are especially desirable, as our intended audience includes not only academics and scholars in religion and science, but also religious and spiritual leaders, as well as caregivers, chaplains, social workers, counselors/therapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and persons interested in matters of religion/spirituality and psychology.
Pastoral Psychology welcomes scholarship and reflection from all religious and spiritual traditions. In addition to scholarly research papers, the journal welcomes thoughtful essays on a wide range of issues and various genres of writing, including book reviews and film reviews. The community of scholars represented in its pages has demonstrated that the life challenges the journal seeks to address are universally shared, yet also reflect individual social, cultural, and religious locations. The journal, therefore, welcomes submissions from scholars from around the world.