Strengthening Capacity for Research and Policy Engagement in Shifting Notions of Motherhood and Fatherhood for Improved Children's Wellbeing in Africa

在这项提案中，Makerere大学(HUB)打算与威特沃特斯兰德大学、伊巴丹大学、莫伊大学、卢旺达大学和西开普大学及其合作伙伴合作，提高性别和社会工作部门研究不断变化的母亲和父亲观念的能力，并利用研究结果倡导改进家庭和儿童福利政策和干预措施。非洲对科学的偏爱导致对人文和社会科学的研究经费减少，对研究影响非洲大陆的当代社会挑战，包括身份、母亲和父亲的兴趣和能力产生了不利影响。母亲和父亲的概念是关于性别认同、社会化、认知、地位、现实和想象的辩论的核心。这些身份是在不同的层面上创造、(重新)谈判、争论、确认和(重新)诞生的；在家庭/家庭层面、社区、传统文化、国家和全球层面。然而，作为身份的母亲和父亲也在改变和转变。母亲和父亲的象征性表现变得政治化，特别是当受到围绕民族主义的意识形态的影响时--无论是国家的还是部落的，随后告知关于男子气概、女性气质；或男子气概和女性气质的理想。在全球范围内，关于母亲和父亲的研究指出了各种形式的父亲和母亲。这些形式意味着什么，或者这些形式对父亲、母亲以及随后的男性和女性气质的证明有多重要？殖民主义、城市化、艾滋病毒/艾滋病、战争和冲突、结构调整和技术等不同的事态发展重塑和改变了育儿的物质和文化基础，以及随之而来的母亲和父亲的性别认同。尽管如此，有一种倾向是将它们视为暂时的和/或偏离正常的。因此，对家庭研究的研究十分匮乏。除少数例外情况外，在非洲，母亲和父亲的研究是作为一个社会人口变量来解释某些经济趋势，并作为生殖健康、儿童福祉和结果的预测指标。已经开展了有限的研究，集中在育儿方面，以及母亲和父亲的身份对那些履行这些身份的人意味着什么，以及他们如何履行这些身份。因此，在家庭关系和儿童福利方面，立法者和政策制定者可以使用的证据有限。除南非外，我们继续看到家庭和儿童政策和法律假定所有母亲都已婚，并将得到配偶或至少是大家庭的支持。将要研究的关键问题包括：(1)在非洲，母亲和父亲的变化是什么？它与女性和男性的变化有什么关系？(2)这些变化的主要驱动因素是什么？(3)如何最好地概念化、研究和研究这些变化？(4)鉴于这些变化，研究人员如何让政策制定者参与到儿童友好型育儿政策中来？在这个多学科的提案中，Makerere大学和她的六名合作者试图探索如何提高研究人员研究母亲和父亲的能力，并让政策制定者参与到更好的家庭和儿童友好型政策制定和干预中。这一主题是跨学科的，汇集了性别研究、社会工作、非洲研究和伦理方面的专门知识，通过研究和伦理培训、博士和博士后研究支助、会议介绍、讲习班和出版物等方式产生新知识和培养研究人员的能力。

In this proposal, Makerere University (hub) intends to work with the University of Witwatersrand, University of Ibadan, Moi University, University of Rwanda and University of Western Cape (spokes) and their partners to enhance the capacity of Gender and Social Work Departments to research changing notions of motherhood and fatherhood, and to use the results to advocate for improved family and child welfare policies and interventions. The preference for Sciences in Africa led to a reduction in research funding for the Humanities and Social Sciences, negatively affecting the interest and capacity to research contemporary social challenges affecting the continent, including identities, motherhood and fatherhood. The notions of Motherhood and Fatherhood are at the core of the debate on gender identities, socialisation, perceptions, status, realities and imaginations. These identities are created, (re)negotiated, contested, affirmed and (re)born at different levels; at family/ household level, community, cultural traditional, national and global levels. Yet motherhood and fatherhood as identities also change and transform. Symbolic representations of motherhood and fatherhood become political especially when informed by ideologies surrounding nationalisms-whether national or tribal, subsequently informing ideals about manhood, womanhood; or masculinity and femininity. Research on motherhood and fatherhood globally points to various forms of fathers and mothers. What do these forms mean or how important are these forms to fathers, mothers and subsequent proof of masculinity and femininity? Different developments, such as colonialism, urbanisation, HIV/AIDS, war and conflict, structural adjustments and technology have reshaped and transformed the material and cultural foundations of parenting, and with it the gendered identities of motherhood and fatherhood. Nonetheless, there is a tendency to treat them as temporary and or deviant from the norm. As a result, there is a dearth of research in family studies. With a few exceptions, research in motherhood and fatherhood in Africa is undertaken as a socio-demographic variable explaining certain economic trends and as a predictor of reproductive health and child wellbeing and outcomes. Limited research has been undertaken to focus on parenting and what the identities of motherhood and fatherhood imply for those who perform them, and how they perform them. Consequently, there is limited evidence for legislators and policy makers in family relations and children's welfare to work with. With the exception of South Africa, we continue to see Family and Children's policies and laws which assume that all mothers are married and will have the support of a spouse or at least extended family. Key questions to be examined will include the following: (1) What are the changes in motherhood and fatherhood in Africa and how does it relate to changes in femininity and masculinity? (2) What are the major drivers of these changes? (3) How best can these changes be conceptualised, studied and researched about? (4) How can researchers engage policy makers for child friendly parenting policies in view of these changes?In this multi-disciplinary proposal, Makerere University and her six collaborators seek to explore ways to enhance the capacity of researchers to research motherhood and fatherhood, and to engage policy makers for better family and child friendly policy making and interventions. This theme is trans-disciplinary, bringing together expertise from Gender Studies, Social Work, African Studies and Ethics to generate new knowledge and build researcher's capacity through research and ethics training, doctoral and post-doctoral research support, conference presentations, workshops and publications to mention a few.