What is it about?
Mothers in academia face many challenges. They are expected to manage multiple roles of full time work in higher education and also full time work at home with children. Universities at times provide structures to allow mothers, and others, succeed. For example, such structures could include affordable daycare on site. Yet often mothers in academia continue to face obstacles without clear and easy to access structures or supports. So what do these women do with their stress? How can they feel better while continuing their work in academia and at home? We explored the use of a community of mothers in academia, all taking time to do art or other activity for themselves, as a way to encourage wellbeing.
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Photo by Daria Tumanova on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Significantly we found that not just the practice of doing art or spending time doing something for yourself can reduce stress, but the community interaction was essential. For mothers in academia, having a community and finding time for themselves helped improve self-perceived sense of well-being whether or not there were sufficient structures available in the academic workplace.
Perspectives
As part of this article, I got a chance to engage in the same types of arts and time for self that each of the participants did. The opportunity to find that time and work together with colleagues and participants was incredibly rewarding. Our work together has continued in many ways which we are excited to share for the future.
Professor Anna CohenMiller
Nord University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Conflicting roles of mother and academic? Exploring the use of arts-based self-care activities to encourage wellbeing, Art/Research International A Transdisciplinary Journal, August 2019, University of Alberta Libraries,
DOI: 10.18432/ari29391.
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