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

在这项建议中，马凯雷雷大学（中心）打算与威特沃兹兰德大学、伊巴丹大学、莫伊大学、卢旺达大学和西开普省大学（中心）及其伙伴合作，加强性别和社会工作部门研究不断变化的母性和父亲观念的能力，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了对人文和社会科学的研究经费的减少，对研究影响非洲大陆的当代社会挑战的兴趣和能力产生了负面影响，包括身份、母亲和父亲。母亲和父亲的概念是关于性别认同、社会化、观念、地位、现实和想象的辩论的核心。这些身份在不同的层面上被创造、（重新）协商、争论、肯定和（重新）诞生；在家庭/家庭、社区、文化传统、国家和全球各级。然而，作为身份的母亲和父亲也会改变和转变。母性和父性的象征性表现变得政治化，特别是当被围绕民族主义的意识形态所告知时——无论是国家的还是部落的，随后传达了关于男子气概、女性气概的理想；或者男性气质和女性气质。全球范围内关于母性和父性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？不同的发展，如殖民主义、城市化、艾滋病毒/艾滋病、战争和冲突、结构调整和技术，重塑和改变了养育子女的物质和文化基础，并随之改变了母亲和父亲的性别身份。尽管如此，还是有一种倾向，认为它们是暂时的或偏离常态的。因此，在家庭研究方面缺乏研究。除了少数例外，非洲的母性和父性研究是作为解释某些经济趋势的社会人口变量和作为生殖健康和儿童福利及结果的预测指标进行的。已经进行了有限的研究，重点是养育子女，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，立法者和决策者可以利用的证据有限。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大家庭的支持。要审查的关键问题将包括以下内容：(1)非洲母性和父性的变化是什么，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)如何最好地对这些变化进行概念化、研究和研究？(4)鉴于这些变化，研究人员如何让政策制定者参与制定儿童友好型育儿政策？在这个多学科的提案中，Makerere大学和她的六个合作者试图探索提高研究人员研究母亲和父亲的能力的方法，并让决策者参与更好的家庭和儿童友好的政策制定和干预措施。这个主题是跨学科的，汇集了来自性别研究、社会工作、非洲研究和伦理学的专业知识，通过研究和伦理培训、博士和博士后研究支持、会议演讲、讲习班和出版物等方式产生新知识并建设研究人员的能力。

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.