Représentations sociales de la maternité en contexte pandémique

Résumé

This study aimed to identify the social representations of motherhood among primiparous and multiparous women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive and exploratory study, based on the Theory of Social Representations, was conducted with 60 Brazilian women who were pregnant or had been pregnant since the beginning of the pandemic. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Free Word Association Technique, and semi-structured interviews were used, with textual analysis using IRAMUTEQ software. The results revealed representations anchored in four thematic classes: challenges and family support; gestational phase; motherhood responsibilities; and emotions experienced during the pandemic. Ambivalence of feelings was identified, marked by fear and anxiety, but also by love and fulfillment. Primiparous women expressed greater insecurity, while multiparous women demonstrated resilience anchored in previous experience. The pandemic redefined central elements of motherhood, challenging traditional discourses and favoring the emergence of more complex representations. The anchoring process revealed a reinterpretation of cultural values in light of the pandemic's contingencies. It can be concluded that motherhood, experienced in this context, was a subjective and unique experience, requiring recognition of its specificities in care policies and practices.