Dissertation committee:
Λήδα Αναγνωστάκη, Επίκουρη καθηγήτρια ΤΕΑΠΗ/ΕΚΠΑ (επιβλέπουσα)
Μαρία Λεοντσίνη, Καθηγήτρια ΤΕΑΠΗ/ΕΚΠΑ (μέλος τριμελούς συμβουλευτικής
επιτροπής)
Άννα Χριστοπούλου, Ομότιμη Καθηγήτρια του Τμήματος Ψυχολογίας ΕΚΠΑ (μέλος
τριμελούς συμβουλευτικής επιτροπής)
Καλλιρόη Παπαδοπούλου, Αναπληρώτρια καθηγήτρια ΤΕΑΠΗ/ΕΚΠΑ
Χριστίνα Παπαχρήστου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια του Τμήματος Ψυχολογίας Α.Π.Θ.
Χριστίνα Αθανασιάδου, Αναπληρώτρια καθηγήτρια του Τμήματος Ψυχολογίας Α.Π.Θ
Βενετία Καντσά, Καθηγήτρια του Τμήματος Κοινωνικής Ανθρωπολογίας και Ιστορίας
του Πανεπιστημίου Αιγαίου
Summary:
Attachment Parenting (AP) is a contemporary parenting philosophy that has gained
increasing popularity in Western societies, including Greece. AP aims at healthy
psychosocial development of the child and secure attachment between the child and
parents, primarily the mother, through the promotion of seven parenting practices (e.g.,
extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing). To assess the scientific basis of AP
and its practices, a literature review and critical examination of the philosophy were
conducted from five different approaches (medical model, attachment theory,
psychoanalytic approach, feminist approach, family approach). The critical discussion
revealed that while many claims of AP lack scientific foundation, some of its individual
practices have positive effects on child development. However, AP's emphasis on the
exclusive and long-term maternal commitment to a child's needs without equal paternal
involvement may have negative effects on child psychosocial development, maternal
mental health, and family balance. Also, recognizing that the parental experience of AP
may vary across different cultural contexts, the characteristics of the Greek family were
presented, highlighting the unequal burden placed on mothers compared to fathers in
child rearing. However, empirical data on AP and its effects are limited internationally
and particularly in the Greek setting, making it challenging to draw conclusions. The
aim of this doctoral thesis was to explore the parental experience of child rearing
according to AP and its potential effects on the mental health of family members and
their relationships, using a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative aspect of the
thesis involved examining the lived experiences of 12 mothers, 11 fathers, and one
stepfather who raised their children according to AP, focusing on how parents make
sense of AP philosophy and practices. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
of semi-structured interviews revealed seven main themes for mothers and six for
fathers. The first five themes were shared between both genders: 1) Acquaintance with
AP theory and practices, 2) Characteristics of the parenting approach, 3) Couple
dynamics in child rearing, 4) Effects of the parenting approach, and 5) Striving for
balance. The sixth theme for mothers was "Pathways from childhood experiences to
parenting," and for fathers, it was "Towards differentiation from the family of origin."
The seventh theme emerged from mothers' interviews and was titled "AP as a means of
maternal empowerment." The IPA discussion highlighted a pattern of interaction
between parental couples regarding child rearing, with mothers dedicating themselves
entirely to children's needs, assuming the role of the primary caregiver and "leader" in
parenting, while fathers appeared to have a more varied level of involvement and
engagement in parenting. Within this parenting approach, a variety of positive and
negative effects on family members emerged, with a prominent negative impact on
maternal mental health and couple relationship. The discussion emphasized the
associations between these findings and the essentialist and child-centric attitudes of
the intensive mothering ideology. Moreover, interviews with participants, primarily
mothers, revealed that the choice of AP was associated with adverse childhood
experiences and was seen as a reparative experience. The quantitative part of the thesis
aimed to confirm and expand upon the qualitative findings by comparing mothers who
follow AP in child rearing with those who do not. Questionnaires assessing AP
practices and attitudes, intensive parenting attitudes, parental stress, and quality of life
were administered to mothers (N=650) through online groups and pages related to
parenting. The results indicated that the only difference between mothers following AP
and those who did not was the longer duration of AP practices and higher agreement
with AP attitudes regarding responsiveness to child needs. However, there was no
significant difference in the extent of agreement with intensive parenting attitudes and
the levels of maternal mental health between the two groups. Among the main factors
that appeared to impact maternal mental health was a high level of agreement with the
essentialist dimension of intensive mothering ideology. These findings suggest that, as
long as the burden of child rearing and care is not solely placed on mothers (based on
the assumption that she is the most suitable person for the child's primary care), AP
does not have a negative impact on maternal mental health. The discussion emphasized
the cultural characteristics of the sample and highlighted the importance of gender
equality in child rearing for maternal mental health and family balance.
Keywords:
Γονεϊκότητα Δεσμού, Ιδεολογία Εντατικής Μητρότητας, Μητρική Ψυχική Υγεία, Οικογενειακή Ισορροπία, Μεικτή Μεθοδολογία, Ερμηνευτική Φαινομενολογική Ανάλυση
