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"Mothers as Candy Wrappers": Critical Infrastructure Supporting the Transition into Motherhood

Authors:

Lauren Britton,

Louise Barkhuus,

Bryan SemaanAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 3, Issue GROUP

Article No.: 232, Pages 1 - 21

https://doi.org/10.1145/3361113

Published: 05 December 2019 Publication History

Abstract

The transition into motherhood is a complicated and often unsupported major life disruption. To alleviate mental health issues and to support identity re-negotiation, mothers are increasingly turning to online mothers' groups, particularly private and secret Facebook groups; these can provide a complex system of social, emotional, and practical support for new mothers. In this paper we present findings from an exploratory interview study of how new mothers create, find, use, and participate in ICTs, specifically online mothers' groups, to combat the lack of formal support systems by developing substitute networks. Utilizing a framework of critical infrastructures, we found that these online substitute networks were created by women, for women, in an effort to fill much needed social, political, and medical gaps that fail to see 'woman and mother' as a whole being, rather than simply as a 'discarded candy wrapper'. Our study contributes to the growing literature on ICT use by mothers for supporting and negotiating new identities, by illustrating how these infrastructures can be re-designed and appropriated in use, for critical utilization.

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Cited By

Tanner JWilson PWight DThompson L(2024)The Mellow Babies parenting programme: role of group processes and interpersonal change mechanismsFrontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry10.3389/frcha.2024.13953633Online publication date: 17-Oct-2024
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Index Terms

"Mothers as Candy Wrappers": Critical Infrastructure Supporting the Transition into Motherhood
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Collaborative and social computing theory, concepts and paradigms
      1. Computer supported cooperative work
      2. Social media

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 3, Issue GROUP

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December 2019

425 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3375021

Editors:
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University of Michigan
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Jeff Nichols
Google
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Geraldine Fitzpatrick
Vienna University of Technology
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Uichin Lee
KAIST
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Andres Monroy-Hernandez
Microsoft Research

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Published: 05 December 2019

Published in PACMHCI Volume 3, Issue GROUP

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https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2024.1395363
Félix BBraga CNtinga XTill SMeoli LVan Heerden AMelo RVerdezoto NDensmore MNunes F(2024)Understanding How Parents Deal With the Health Advice They Receive: A Qualitative Study and Implications for the Design of Message-based Health Dissemination Systems for Child HealthProceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3643834.3661504(1319-1335)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3643834.3661504
Jo JXie JAiyer PKnearem TCarroll J(2024)Infrastructuring Community Fridges for Food CommoningProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373528:CSCW1(1-27)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637352
Lai YLee YChang CDai WChen Y(2024)Exploring the Role of Mom's Chat Groups in the Messaging App: Enhancing Support and Empowerment for Stay-At-Home MothersProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36330688:GROUP(1-20)Online publication date: 16-Feb-2024
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Lyu YZhang HCarroll J(2023)Reconnecting An International Travel Network: The Personal Infrastructuring Work of International Travelers in A Multi-facet CrisisProceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium of Chinese CHI10.1145/3629606.3629655(468-482)Online publication date: 13-Nov-2023
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Tang KGerling KLijnen MGeets MGeurts LAufheimer MMuyldermans J(2023)3, 2, 1 Start with Breastfeeding: Supporting Partner Involvement in Breastfeeding Education Through a Gamified Mobile AppProceedings of Mensch und Computer 202310.1145/3603555.3603557(186-196)Online publication date: 3-Sep-2023
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Simpson EDalal SSemaan B(2023)"Hey, Can You Add Captions?": The Critical Infrastructuring Practices of Neurodiverse People on TikTokProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/35794907:CSCW1(1-27)Online publication date: 16-Apr-2023
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