Gendered capital: emotional capital and mothers' care work in education

• Published in: British journal of sociology of education Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 137 - 148
• Main Author: O'Brien, Maeve
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.03.2008; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group; Taylor and Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Capital; Capital resources; Caregivers; Caring; Childrearing Practices; Children; Codes of practice; Economic resources; Education; Educational Attainment; Educational resources; Educational sociology; emotional capital; Emotional Experience; Emotional Response; Emotional support; Emotions; Family School Relationship; Feminism; Foreign Countries; Gender; Gender Issues; Gender studies; Homosexuality; Inequality; Interpersonal Relationship; Ireland; Love; Marital Satisfaction; moral imperative to care; Motherhood; Mothers; One Parent Family; Parent participation; Parent Role; Parents; Pedagogy; Schooling; Sex Fairness; Sex Stereotypes; Sexual Inequality; Social Bias; Social problems and social policy. Social work; Social research; Social support; Socioeconomic Status; Sociology; Sociology of education. Educational systems. Lifelong education; solidary relationships; Transitional Programs; Working mothers; Ireland; Education; Emotions; Capital
• ISSN: 0142-5692; 1465-3346
• DOI: 10.1080/01425690701837505

This paper is concerned with the inequalities experienced by mothers in the performance of educational care work for their children. It is argued that the caring work carried out by mothers at transfer to second-level schooling is shaped by their ability to activate the significant resource of emotional capital; a gendered resource involving emotional skills, knowledge and experiences. Drawing on an in-depth study of mothers' routines of care, it is suggested that the possession of emotional capital subjects mothers to a normative order of care. Moreover, in exploring the idiosyncratic differences between mothers' capacities to activate emotional capital it is argued that the activation of this care resource is facilitated in the context of solidary relationships but also by mothers' access to other capitals. It is concluded that in order to tackle care inequalities those working in education need to recognise the significance of emotional resources, and need to challenge traditional codes of practice and policies around 'parental' involvement.