Publication
Title
‘When mom left for Mars’ : life narratives of first-generation Moroccan migrant mothers in Flanders
Author
Abstract
Current discourses in Belgian politics about Moroccan Muslim women are deeply rooted in the first-generation family reunification policies of the 1960s. Today, (marriage) migrant women are still commonly described as victims of their ‘backward’ religious traditions and in need of protection for the sake of themselves, their children and society. Looking at the implications of these views for the women concerned, this article discusses the unique docufilm ‘When Mom Left for Mars’, which documents the life narrative of a first-generation Moroccan woman in The Netherlands. Based on this docufilm, we aim to (1) document how Belgian and Dutch first-generation migrant women can be compared with each other using Karl Mannheim’s ‘theory of generations’ and (2) engage in an intergenerational conversation with first-generation mothers and their daughters, as well as with mid-generation mothers, to gain more insight into their similarities, heritage and differences. More specifically, we explore the agency of these mothers using the analytical lens of ‘affective citizenship’, particularly attending to how they centralise mothering and care work to negotiate gender and belonging, and counter the challenges of marriage migration, motherhood and integration. The docufilm is, thus, used as a case study from which we consider the first-generation women as ‘cultural archives’, and as a methodological tool in facilitating in-depth interviews and group discussions.
Language
English
Source (journal)
The European journal of women's studies. - London, 1994, currens
Publication
London : Sage , 2024
ISSN
1350-5068 [print]
1461-7420 [online]
DOI
10.1177/13505068241236042
Volume/pages
31 :1 (2024) , p. 89-103
Article Reference
13505068241236042
ISI
001187824700001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
The author-created version that incorporates referee comments and is the accepted for publication version Available from 19.03.2025
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 27.03.2024
Last edited 08.05.2024
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