Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Communication and Storytelling Studies
Date of Award
5-2021
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Amber Kinser
Committee Members
Wendy Doucette, Wesley Buerkle
Abstract
This study examines the work of single, white, middle-class women feeding and caring for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020. The study draws from qualitative analyses of one-on-one interviews conducted with seven single mothers. After situating single mothers and family food provision in the academic literature, as well as and current knowledge about the pandemic in the U.S., the author explores ways that the pandemic disrupted family life. Findings indicated that the single mothers were keenly impacted by being cut off from child care, schools, and other social connections they needed to maintain employment. Further, their feeding work became exceptionally complex as they navigated the need to provide food for their families amid restricted food options, alongside the need to minimize family exposure to the coronavirus. The mothers’ meal preparations and connecting around meals were impacted by complexities caused by the virus and social distancing.
Document Type
Thesis - embargo
Recommended Citation
Garrison, Debora, "“We’re Sinking and We’re Sinking Quick”: Family and Feeding Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Single, White, Middle-Class Mothers" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3893. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3893
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Food Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons