Motherhood in family context - comparing professional practices in maternity and child health care in Finland and Scotland

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine professional practices in matemity and child health care in two countries, Finland and Scotland, concentrating on how motherhood is located in family context, on how family is defined and worked with. Subthemes analysed are the role of fathers, 'family support' fr mothers and the discussion over lone motherhood. The study was carried out through local case studies using ethnographic methods, mainly observation and interviews with health professionals. Results show that Finnish health professionals have adopted a family-oriented way of working emphasising the importance of pair relationships and shared parenthood, compared with their Scottish colleagues, who work in a more women-oriented way and emphasise the role of other women as social support fr mothers. In conclusion the two different professional orientations are connected to wider social and cultural differences between the two countries.