SOC 271 Final Exam Study Guide - Articles 7-12 PDF

Article 7. Being a ‘good mother’: Dietary governmentality in the family food practices of three ethnocultural groups in Canada - Svetlana Ristovski-Slijepcevic, Gwen E. Chapman, Brenda L. Beagan ABSTRACT: In this qualitative study with three ethnocultural groups in two regions of Canada, we explore...

Article 7. Being a ‘good mother’: Dietary governmentality in the family food practices of three ethnocultural groups in Canada - Svetlana Ristovski-Slijepcevic, Gwen E. Chapman, Brenda L. Beagan ABSTRACT: In this qualitative study with three ethnocultural groups in two regions of Canada, we explore how official dietary guidelines provide particular standards concerning ‘healthy eating’ that marginalize other understandings of the relationship between food and health. In families where parents and youth held shared ways of understanding healthy eating, the role of ‘good mother’ was constructed so as to include healthy eating expertise. Mothers expressed a perceived need to be personally responsible for providing skills and knowledge about healthy eating as well as guarding children against negative nutritional influences. Governing of family eating practices to conform to official nutritional advice occurred through information provision, monitoring in shopping and meal preparation, restricting and guiding food purchases, and directly translating expert knowledges into family food practices. In families where parents and youth held differing understandings of healthy eating, primarily families from ethnocultural minority groups, mothers often did not employ the particular western-originating strategies of conveying healthy eat- ing information, or mentoring healthy meal preparation, nor did they regulate or restrict children’s food consumption. Western dietary guidelines entered into the family primar-ily through the youth, emphasizing the nutritional properties of food, often devaluing ‘traditional’ knowledge about healthy eating. These processes exemplify techniques of governmentality which simultaneously exercise control over people’s behaviour through normalizing some family food practices and marginalizing others. Main Ideas (WHAT): 1. Dietary Governmentality: The study introduces the concept of dietary governmentality, referring to how nutritional guidelines from the state and experts shape family food practices. The idea is that government-backed standards for healthy eating become tools for regulating behavior, often through the mothers who are positioned as the gatekeepers of health in the family. 2. Good Mothering and Moral Responsibility: The role of the mother is central, and in many cases, the “good mother” is constructed as the one who has expert knowledge about nutrition and health. Mothers feel morally obligated to ensure their children’s well-being by adhering to these dietary standards. This  responsibility extends beyond simply feeding the family; it involves monitoring, guiding, and educating children about healthy eating. 3. Intergenerational Knowledge Transmission: In families with congruent views on healthy eating, both parents and children share the same understanding of food practices, mostly shaped by official dietary guidelines. In these families, mothers transmit nutritional information through practices like grocery shopping and meal preparation, teaching their children to choose “healthy” foods as defined by Western standards. 4. Cultural Resistance and Diverse Food Knowledge: In some ethnocultural minority families (e.g., African Nova Scotians and Punjabi Canadians), there is often a disconnect between generations when it comes to food knowledge. Older family members rely on traditional food practices, which emphasize cultural heritage and emotional or social meanings attached to food. Younger generations, influenced by schools and Western dietary norms, often view traditional food practices as unhealthy. 5. Surveillance and Control in Food Practices: Mothers in these families not only manage their children’s food choices but also actively monitor and control what their children eat. This practice is framed as a way of shaping responsible, health-conscious citizens, with children learning to regulate their eating habits based on health risks, such as obesity and chronic diseases. 6. Gendered Division of Foodwork: The responsibility for managing food practices typically falls on women, reinforcing traditional gender roles where women are the primary caregivers and food providers in the household. This “foodwork” extends beyond physical cooking and includes emotional labor, as mothers are expected to nurture and protect their families through food. 7. Varied Families and Resistance to Dietary Norms: In families where intergenerational understandings of food differ, resistance to Western dietary norms is evident. Mothers may not engage in the same monitoring or regulation as mothers in congruent families, instead prioritizing traditional food practices that emphasize nurturing and community over strict adherence to nutritional science. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): 1. Personal and Society Intersection: The study illustrates how personal food choices are deeply influenced by societal norms, particularly around health and morality. By focusing on mothers, the paper shows how social expectations of “good mothering” are tied to broader societal ideals of health, responsibility, and  morality. Understanding how families manage food practices offers insight into how social norms shape everyday life. 2. Gender Roles and Power Dynamics: The study highlights the gendered nature of foodwork, showing how women, especially mothers, are assigned the moral responsibility of ensuring their families’ health through food. This reflects broader power dynamics within the family and society, where women are positioned as caregivers, and their roles are tied to their ability to manage the family’s well-being. 3. Cultural Resistance and Identity: The research sheds light on how ethnocultural minorities may resist or negotiate dominant societal norms around healthy eating. In families where older generations hold onto traditional food practices, food becomes a site of cultural identity and resistance against Western norms. This resistance highlights the tension between preserving cultural heritage and assimilating into dominant societal practices. 4. Governmentality and Control: The concept of governmentality demonstrates how the state exercises control over individuals and families, not through direct intervention, but by promoting norms and standards (such as dietary guidelines) that individuals internalize. This self-regulation, particularly by mothers, reflects how families become sites of governance where the state’s goals for public health are enacted through personal choices. 5. Changing Family Roles: The study points to shifts in family roles, particularly with younger generations adopting different views on food and health. These changing roles, especially as younger family members challenge traditional practices, reflect broader societal changes in the roles of mothers, fathers, and children in managing health and well-being. 6. Social Inequality and Marginalization: By focusing on ethnocultural differences, the study raises questions about how dietary governmentality can marginalize non-Western ways of understanding food and health. The paper shows that dominant health discourses can exclude or devalue traditional knowledge systems, positioning Western dietary standards as superior and marginalizing those who do not conform to them. 7. Moralizing Health Behaviors: The linking of food practices with moral behavior—where eating “healthy” is seen as virtuous and “unhealthy” as irresponsible—reflects how health has become moralized in contemporary society. This moralization not only affects how families view food but also how they perceive themselves and others, reinforcing social hierarchies based on health behaviors. KEY TERMS: Healthy Eating: Refers to food practices and choices promoted by public health institutions that are considered beneficial for maintaining physical health and preventing illness, often based on scientific or nutritional standards. Dietary Guidelines: Official recommendations provided by health authorities (e.g., Health Canada) that dictate what is considered proper nutrition, emphasizing food groups, portion control, and nutrient intake to promote public health. Generational Transmission: The process by which knowledge, values, and practices around food and health are passed from one generation to the next within families, which may include both traditional and modern (Western) views on healthy eating. Culture: The shared customs, beliefs, and practices related to food and eating within specific ethnocultural groups, which influence family food choices and perceptions of health, often in contrast with dominant Western nutritional norms. Family Health: The overall well-being of a family, particularly as it relates to diet and nutrition, shaped by the practices, decisions, and knowledge of family members, especially mothers, within the home environment. Governmentality: A concept from Michel Foucault referring to the ways in which institutions and expert knowledge (such as dietary guidelines) regulate and control individuals' behaviors by promoting norms that individuals internalize and enforce within their families. Foucault: A French philosopher whose concept of governmentality is used in the article to explain how power operates in modern societies through the promotion of self-regulation, where families, particularly mothers, govern their food practices according to societal expectations of health and nutrition. Article 8 - “Being a father”: constructions of fatherhood by men with absent fathers - Leah East, Marie Hutchinson, Tamara Power & Debra Jackson ABSTRACT: Family dynamics and parenting styles are influential on children’s wellbeing [Walsh, F. (2016). Strengthening family resilience (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press]. Additionally, childhood experiences and how an individual experienced being parented can impact on how individuals as mothers and fathers choose to parent their own children [Herland, M. D., Hauge, M.-I., & Helegland, I. M. (2015). Balancing fatherhood: Experiences of fatherhood among men with a difficult past. Qualitative Social Work, 14(2), 242–258]. However, growing up in a home with an absent parent may create challenges associated with parenting for individuals, due to not having these experiences themselves. Therefore, the article reports findings on men who grew up in a father-absent household and how their experiences influenced their understanding of fatherhood and becoming a father. Twenty-one men participated in this qualitative study. Findings revealed that although men felt unprepared for fatherhood they attempted to learn to be a father and expressed the importance of not wanting their children to experience father absence. The study findings provide important insights in the provision of support for fathers who have experienced father absence. Main Ideas (WHAT): Father Absence and Its Impact: Men who grew up in father-absent households faced challenges in fathering, feeling unprepared or uncertain about the role due to a lack of a paternal role model. Learning to Father: These men adopted fathering behaviors from alternative sources such as male relatives, friends' fathers, media, or their mothers, learning how to parent without direct examples from their own fathers. Breaking the Cycle of Absence: Many men were determined to be more present and involved fathers, striving to break the cycle of father absence by providing their children with emotional support and security. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): Impact on Family Dynamics: The absence of a father can influence family structures and create uncertainty in how men understand and perform their roles as fathers, affecting overall family dynamics. Gender Roles and Parental Responsibilities: The study highlights shifts in gender roles, with modern fatherhood increasingly associated with emotional caregiving and involvement, moving beyond traditional provider roles.  Cultural Expectations and Social Norms: Men had to navigate societal pressures that equate good fathering with presence and emotional support, reflecting evolving norms around masculinity and fatherhood. Intergenerational Impact: Father absence affects not just individuals but future generations, as men strive to "break the cycle" by offering their children a more engaged and supportive father figure, altering family patterns over time. KEY TERMS: Fathers: Men who take on the role of parenting and caregiving, especially focusing on how men construct their identity as fathers when they themselves grew up without a father figure. Family: The social unit where fatherhood is enacted, particularly exploring how father absence shapes the dynamics and emotional structure within families. Parenting: The practices and responsibilities involved in raising children, especially the challenges men face in parenting when they lack a personal example of fatherhood due to their own father's absence. Qualitative Research: A methodological approach used in this study to explore personal experiences and narratives, focusing on how men perceive and construct fatherhood through in-depth interviews. Article 9 - Interchangeable parents? The roles and identities of primary and equal carer fathers of young children - Paul Hodkinson and Rachel Brooks ABSTRACT: Against the context of enduring gender inequalities in early years parental care, this article examines the experiences of UK fathers who had taken on primary or equal care responsibility for children aged three or under. Informed by qualitative interviews with 24 such fathers, the article explores a discourse of parental interchangeability that pervaded their accounts before outlining the ways that, in practice, most caregiving tasks did tend to be allocated to them or their partners primarily on the basis of factors other than gender. The men’s comfort in presenting themselves and their partners as interchangeable equivalents, along with the range of caregiving approaches they were taking on, suggests that they had begun to move beyond clearly differentiated motherly or fatherly roles. The study goes on, however, to show that certain emotional, organisational and social aspects of parenting sometimes continued to be centred on mothers. In explaining the endurance of these areas of maternal responsibility within otherwise interchangeable partnerships, mutually reinforcing sets of maternal pressures and paternal barriers are outlined. Main Ideas (WHAT): Parental Interchangeability: The study introduces the concept of interchangeable parenting, where fathers in dual-earner households see themselves as equal caregivers, sharing tasks with their partners based on availability rather than traditional gender roles. Fathers described themselves as being able to switch caregiving duties with their partners, indicating a move toward gender-neutral parenting. Challenges to Traditional Gender Roles: While fathers in the study take on caregiving tasks traditionally associated with mothers, such as emotional care and household organization, certain areas like emotional bonds and social responsibilities (e.g., coordinating playdates) still tend to be centered on mothers. Maternal Pressures and Paternal Barriers: Despite fathers’ efforts to be equal caregivers, societal expectations and maternal habits often place additional pressure on mothers to retain some caregiving responsibilities. Fathers also face external barriers, such as feeling out of place in female-dominated spaces like parenting networks. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): Redefining Family Roles: The study highlights the potential for families to redefine traditional mother-father distinctions, as some fathers take on equal caregiving roles, challenging long standing gender norms. This shift reflects broader changes in societal expectations about gender and caregiving. Gender and Power Dynamics: Although men in the study are increasingly involved in caregiving, the persistence of maternal pressures and paternal barriers suggests that gendered power dynamics in family roles remain entrenched. Women often bear more emotional and organizational labor, even in relatively equal caregiving households. Cultural Shifts in Fatherhood: The findings underscore a cultural shift toward “caring masculinities,” where men are more engaged in nurturing and emotional  aspects of caregiving, aligning with new societal ideals of fatherhood that go beyond the traditional breadwinner role. Societal Barriers: Fathers’ experiences show how societal structures, such as healthcare professionals’ preference to communicate with mothers, reinforce traditional caregiving roles, limiting fathers’ full participation in caregiving. This highlights how societal norms and institutions continue to shape family dynamics, even when families attempt to adopt more egalitarian roles. KEY TERMS: Family: The social unit where caregiving roles are performed, especially focusing on how equal or interchangeable caregiving between parents challenges traditional family dynamics and gendered divisions of labor. Fathering: The role and identity of men as primary or equal caregivers, moving beyond traditional expectations of fathers as secondary or support caregivers, and embracing nurturing and emotional care. Gender: The social expectations and roles assigned to men and women in parenting, with the study exploring how fathers take on caregiving tasks traditionally associated with mothers, and the barriers that prevent full gender equality in caregiving. Masculinity: The evolving concept of masculinity in the context of fatherhood, as men adopt “caring masculinities” that emphasize emotional care and relationality, moving away from the traditional masculine role of provider. Parenting: The practices involved in raising children, focusing on how caregiving tasks are divided between mothers and fathers, and how some families adopt a gender-neutral approach to parenting, with both parents sharing responsibilities equally. FIRST ARTICLE OF Article 10 - Parenting Mixed Children: How to Start the Conversation About Identity - Laura Bures ABSTRACT: This paper explores the parenting practices of mixed union couples in Canada in an attempt to understand how these practices influence identity development in biracial children. Current theories around this topic suggest that the type of parental communication a biracial child receives influences their decision to associate with both racial identities, one racial identity, or neither. I will discuss common sources of tension that these couples face in their negotiation of racial and cultural differences. I suggest that when interracial couples disagree on how to parent their children about their mixed identities, children struggle to develop a strong understanding of who they are. Main Ideas (WHAT): 1. Parental Communication and Identity Development: The study emphasizes that biracial children's identity development is influenced significantly by how their parents talk about race within the home. Parental communication can shape whether children identify with both racial identities, only one, or neither. 2. Parenting Styles in Mixed Households: Bures discusses three parenting styles for mixed families—open individualized (focusing on individual potential beyond racial categories), mixed collective (integrating and discussing both heritages), and single collective (emphasizing only one racial or ethnic background). 3. Interracial Parenting and Racial Socialization: Racial socialization in mixed households often involves parents, especially mothers, preparing their children to understand and navigate racial identities. This includes teaching about racial stereotypes, discrimination, and the value of cultural heritage. 4. Intergenerational Tensions in Food and Culture: The study finds that in some ethnocultural families, parents prioritize traditional food and cultural practices as part of the child's upbringing, while children exposed to mainstream values might view these traditions as outdated. 5. Challenges of Racial Ambivalence: Biracial children often face challenges as they attempt to reconcile two distinct racial identities. Tensions may arise if parents do not agree on racial socialization practices, leading to feelings of ambivalence or confusion in the child’s identity. 6. Cultural Socialization Practices: The study notes that families often engage in cultural activities like language retention, cooking, and contact with extended family to foster a sense of pride and belonging in their mixed heritage. These practices help children internalize their cultural identities. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): 1. Intersection of Sociology and Family: This study illustrates how racial identity formation in biracial children is a process that occurs largely within the family but is influenced by wider societal views on race. Understanding how families manage racial socialization offers insight into the role of family as a site where societal norms and individual identity intersect. 2. Gender Roles in Parenting: The research underscores that mothers often carry the primary responsibility for communicating racial identity and cultural heritage, which highlights gendered expectations in parenting roles and underscores the social role of women in identity formation. 3. Cultural Identity and Resistance: Ethnocultural minority families sometimes resist mainstream norms by maintaining traditional practices, which supports the preservation of cultural identity. This resistance can foster a sense of community and belonging, but may also create tension as children are exposed to dominant societal norms. 4. Governmentality and Cultural Integration: The concept of governmentality applies here in that biracial families in multicultural societies like Canada navigate state-endorsed multiculturalism and societal norms that encourage cultural diversity. However, the reality of racialized experiences complicates how biracial children integrate both sides of their heritage. 5. Social Inequality and Racial Identity: This study highlights how social prejudices and dominant racial ideologies impact biracial individuals' identities, as they are often socially pressured to "choose" a single racial identity. This dynamic illustrates how racial identity is socially constructed and influenced by power relations. 6. Family Dynamics and Socialization: By showing how disagreements between parents on racial socialization can affect children's sense of identity, the study reveals the sociological impact of family dynamics on personal development and the broader implications of family as a foundational socializing institution. SECOND ARTICLE OF Article 10 - From the Inside Out: Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children - Deni Hanington ABSTRACT: While incarceration rates have been increasing, conversations and knowledge on children with incarcerated parents have not. Children, like their parents, undergo challenges and serious adaptations when they lose their guardian to the criminal justice system. Studies done on children of incarcerated adults show the disproportionate impact on racialized and marginalized populations within Canada, as well as the economic consequences that follow. Due to various factors that unravel during these children’s lives, they face more social risks than many other individuals developing at the same time under separate circumstances. Main Ideas (WHAT): 1. Impact of Parental Incarceration on Development: The article emphasizes that children of incarcerated parents face significant social and psychological challenges, such as stigmatization, grief, and difficulties with attachment, affecting their development throughout childhood and adolescence. 2. Indigenous Overrepresentation and Systemic Racism: Indigenous children are disproportionately affected due to the overrepresentation of Indigenous adults in Canadian prisons. This overrepresentation links to systemic racism and intergenerational trauma, which compound the adversities faced by these children. 3. Deviance and Delinquency in Children: Children of incarcerated parents are more likely to display deviant behaviors, potentially adopting negative coping mechanisms like substance use and joining gangs. Stigmatization and parental absence contribute to these tendencies. 4. Challenges in Infant Development: Parental incarceration disrupts infants’ early attachment and development, leading to insecure relationships, higher risks of behavioral problems, and a greater likelihood of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which can persist into adulthood. 5. Second-Generation Offenders: Children of incarcerated parents are at greater risk of becoming offenders themselves. Studies show higher rates of behavioral issues, substance use, and reoffending in this group, leading to a cycle of intergenerational incarceration. 6. Visitation and Family Connection: Although visitation can provide emotional support to both children and incarcerated parents, limited accessibility, and strict security measures often make these experiences challenging, sometimes heightening children’s distress. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): 1. Social Inequality and Marginalization: The article highlights how incarceration disproportionately affects racialized and marginalized communities, especially  Indigenous families. This contributes to broader social inequalities and highlights the need to address systemic racism in the criminal justice system. 2. Intergenerational Trauma and Socialization: Parental incarceration disrupts primary socialization for children, often resulting in attachment issues, emotional distress, and increased likelihood of future deviance. This effect reveals the sociological significance of family as a site of social and emotional development. 3. Governmentality and State Responsibility: The prevalence of Indigenous overrepresentation and lack of supportive programs for children highlight the state’s role in perpetuating cycles of marginalization. Reforming incarceration policies could mitigate these effects and support family stability. 4. Cycle of Criminalization and Stigmatization: The study emphasizes that children of incarcerated parents often experience stigmatization, reinforcing a cycle where criminal behavior becomes normalized, leading to higher risks of juvenile detention and adult incarceration. 5. Importance of Supportive Programs: Sociologically, the article underscores the need for community support, visitation reforms, and programs that address the psychological needs of children with incarcerated parents. Such measures could help break the cycle of incarceration by providing positive coping mechanisms and social support. 6. Impact on Broader Community: Parental incarceration affects not only families but also the broader community, increasing social and economic costs. This emphasizes the importance of addressing incarceration as a public health and community issue, focusing on prevention and family stability. Article 11 - Captured and captioned: Representing family life on Instagram - Ashley Barnwell, Barbara Barbosa Neves, Signe Ravn ABSTRACT: This article examines how practices of family photography are being transformed in the digital sphere, specifically on Instagram. While research on ‘digital intimacies’ focusses on romantic or peer interactions, the digital practices of families – especially intergenerational interactions – remain understudied. We use Janet Finch’s notion of ‘family display’ to consider how Instagram affords new modes of performing and sharing family life. This concept has exciting potential for media-rich online spaces, but so far, only a few studies examine how social media platforms extend the display of family practices. To explore family photography on Instagram, we analyse a sample of 200 Instagram posts. We argue that features specific to photo-sharing in digital spaces, such as hashtags, emojis and captions, open up new aspects of and audiences for family display. Our analysis paves the way for future research about how relationships are displayed across a range of digital platforms. Main Ideas (WHAT): 1. Family Display on Instagram: The study uses Janet Finch's concept of "family display" to explore how family life is represented on Instagram. This involves showing "family-ness" in ways that can be understood by others, making family practices visible and recognized as specifically "family" activities. 2. Affordances of Instagram for Family Photography: Instagram’s features, like hashtags, captions, and emojis, allow families to create and share images with a broad or specific audience. These affordances extend the life of intimate family moments beyond the traditional family photo album. 3. Intergenerational Relationships and Gendered Display: The study analyzes different types of intergenerational family posts, showing that representations vary by relationship type and often reinforce gender roles (e.g., fathers depicted as “cool” in active, outdoor settings, while mothers are shown as “fun” in domestic settings). 4. Public and Private Boundaries: Instagram blurs private family life with public display, as users curate and share idealized images of family activities. This creates a mix of private moments intended for broader validation or recognition from both family and non-family audiences. 5. Positivity and Sentimentality in Family Posts: Most family posts emphasize positive portrayals, with hashtags like #familytime and affectionate language, reinforcing traditional ideals of familial closeness and happiness. 6. Role of Hashtags in Community Building: Hashtags not only make family posts searchable but also help users connect with specific communities, such as LGBTQ families or families celebrating unique cultural practices. Hashtags thus become tools for both public display and community engagement. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): 1. Digital Family Norms and Public Validation: The study illustrates how social media reshapes family norms and practices, as users seek public validation for  private family moments. This reflects broader societal values around family and intimacy, showing how family identity is performed in the digital age. 2. Gender and Family Roles: The platform's gendered family displays, where mothers and fathers perform different roles, reflect and reinforce traditional gender norms, illustrating the impact of societal expectations on digital family life. 3. Cultural Ideals of Family Life: The positive portrayals of family life underscore how Instagram shapes idealized representations of families. By curating “happy” family images, users contribute to a cultural script that emphasizes family harmony, potentially marginalizing those whose family experiences differ. 4. Community and Identity Formation: Through hashtags and shared practices, families can create niche communities on Instagram that support diverse identities, such as LGBTQ and multi-generational families. This aspect underscores Instagram's role in identity formation and social cohesion among diverse family structures. 5. Blurring of Public-Private Boundaries: Instagram challenges traditional boundaries between public and private, as users share intimate family moments with both personal and broader audiences. This shift redefines family display, extending the meaning of "family" beyond physical interactions to digital performances. 6. Family Display as Social Capital: The study highlights how displaying family life on Instagram can be seen as a form of social capital, where families seek to present themselves positively to gain social approval. This aligns with sociological concepts of social capital, reputation, and the importance of image in modern society. KEY TERMS: Digital intimacies: The ways in which personal and familial relationships are expressed, nurtured, and displayed online. This includes sharing moments of closeness, affection, and connection within digital spaces, such as social media. Family display: A concept by sociologist Janet Finch that describes how families "perform" or "display" their relationships and practices to make them recognizable as family to others. In digital contexts, it involves publicly sharing family moments to affirm family bonds and identity. Family photography: Photographic practices that capture family moments, typically to document relationships and memories. On platforms like Instagram, family photography is shared more widely and may be curated to reflect idealized family life.  Family practices: Everyday actions and rituals that families engage in to maintain relationships and create a sense of belonging. These practices include shared activities and routines that signify “family-ness,” like celebrating holidays or spending time together. Hashtags: Keywords or phrases preceded by the "#" symbol used on social media to categorize content, make it searchable, and connect posts within specific themes or communities. Family-related hashtags like #familytime helps users share and discover family content on platforms like Instagram. Instagram: A social media platform centered on photo and video sharing, which allows users to curate and share visual content with captions, hashtags, and location tagging. Instagram's visual and interactive features support practices like family display and digital intimacies. Intergenerational relationships: Connections and interactions between different generations within a family, such as relationships between grandparents, parents, and children. These relationships are often showcased on social media as expressions of family continuity and heritage. Social media: Digital platforms where users create, share, and interact with content. Social media facilitates digital intimacies by allowing users to connect, communicate, and share aspects of personal and family life publicly or within chosen communities. Article 12 - Boomeranging home: understanding why young adults live with parents in Toronto, Canada - Alicia C. Tomaszczyk & Nancy Worth ABSTRACT: This article examines young adults’ experiences of living at home with their parents in the Greater Toronto Area. Although media frequently references co-residence as part of the trope of struggling/lazy millen- nial adulthood, it has received little academic attention from geogra- phers. Co-residence offers a unique lens to understand some of the vital economic geographies of young adults, especially when set within a context of financial uncertainty, inaccessible housing markets and a job market characterized by precarious work. The research draws on a feminist economic geography framework to understand why millennials (those born between 1980 and 1995) live at home. Analysis of qualitative interviews reveals the key social structures and processes that organize and shape millennials’ experiences, including the economy, education and debt, as well as the family, culture and mutual reliance. This research highlights the role families play in the struggle to maintain a middle class social position for their children, providing insight into the complexity of young adults’ decisions to co- reside with parents, where motivations of choice and constraint often overlap. Main Ideas (WHAT): 1. Economic Insecurity and Housing Costs: The study examines how financial instability and Toronto’s high housing costs lead many young adults to live with their parents. Factors such as precarious work, student debt, and the unaffordability of home ownership make independent living challenging. 2. Cultural Expectations and Family Ties: Co-residence is also shaped by family expectations, with some ethnic communities, particularly South Asian families, viewing living at home as customary. Family solidarity and cultural norms often support intergenerational living arrangements. 3. Intergenerational Mutual Support: Living at home offers mutual benefits, where young adults receive financial and emotional support, and parents gain help with household duties and, at times, additional income. This support is especially valuable given the limitations of the Canadian welfare state. 4. Transitioning to Adulthood in Neoliberal Times: Millennials face delayed transitions into traditional adulthood markers like homeownership and career stability due to economic pressures. Living with parents provides flexibility, reducing the risks associated with precarious employment and allowing young adults to save and plan. 5. Non-Linear Pathways to Adulthood: The study reveals that young adults today follow diverse, non-traditional pathways to adulthood. Many prioritize education, savings, or “side hustles” over immediate independence, reflecting a departure from previous generations’ linear life courses. Why It Matters Sociologically (WHY): 1. Economic Stratification and Intergenerational Inequality: Rising housing costs and job instability highlight economic inequalities that affect young adults’ mobility. This situation perpetuates wealth gaps across generations, as only some families can afford to provide such support. 2. Cultural and Familial Influence on Co-Residence: The study shows that family values and cultural norms shape living arrangements, with intergenerational households offering stability and community continuity. These ties complicate the assumption that living at home results purely from financial necessity.  3. Gendered Division of Domestic Work: Co-residence often includes a gendered distribution of household labor, where women, including young adult daughters, typically perform more caregiving tasks. This division underscores traditional gender roles within the modern family setting. 4. Challenges of Neoliberal Individualism: Living with parents counters neoliberal ideals of self-reliance and independence. Young adults relying on family support challenge societal expectations, showing how interdependence can be necessary to navigate economic instability. 5. Redefining Adulthood: The concept of adulthood is shifting, with young adults redefining independence and success on their terms. This evolution reflects a broader change in societal expectations around adulthood, career, and family roles. KEY TERMS: Millennials: A generational cohort typically defined as individuals born between 1980 and 1995. This group faces unique economic and social challenges, including student debt, precarious employment, and delayed transitions to traditional adulthood milestones like homeownership. Co-residence: A living arrangement where adult children live with their parents or guardians. This arrangement is increasingly common among millennials, often due to economic constraints, cultural norms, or mutual family support. Housing: The sector and conditions related to shelter and homeownership. Rising housing costs and scarcity of affordable options are significant challenges impacting millennials, contributing to co-residence as a strategy to manage economic pressures. Precarity: A state of economic and job instability, often involving temporary, part-time, or low-wage work. Precarity affects millennials’ ability to achieve financial independence, impacting their life choices and housing arrangements. Lifecourse: A sociological perspective that considers the sequence of socially and culturally influenced stages individuals experience throughout life. The millennial lifecourse is marked by non-linear, diverse pathways due to economic insecurity and shifting social expectations. Family: A social unit that provides economic, emotional, and caregiving support. For many millennials, family, particularly intergenerational households, plays a crucial role in navigating economic challenges. Austerity: Economic policies that reduce government spending, often impacting welfare support systems. Austerity policies can increase reliance on family resources for young adults who lack adequate state support.  Intergenerationality: The connections and relationships between different generations within a family, often involving mutual support and resource sharing. In the context of co-residence, intergenerationality includes the exchange of caregiving, financial aid, and household responsibilities. Potential Exam-Style Question Article 7: Being a ‘Good Mother’ 1. Q: What is the concept of the "good mother" in dietary governmentality? A: It refers to mothers being responsible for their children's health by adhering to state dietary guidelines and teaching healthy eating. 2. Q: What is intergenerational knowledge transmission in family food practices? A: It involves parents, especially mothers, teaching children healthy eating practices based on Western dietary norms. 3. Q: How do Western dietary guidelines marginalize traditional food practices? A: They emphasize nutritional properties over cultural, emotional, or social meanings of traditional foods. 4. Q: What is the gendered division of foodwork? A: Women, especially mothers, are expected to manage the family's dietary health, reinforcing traditional caregiving roles. 5. Q: Why is governmentality significant in family eating practices? A: It shows how state-promoted dietary norms regulate individual behavior through families, especially mothers. Article 8: “Being a Father” 6. Q: What challenges do men from father-absent households face in parenting? A: They often feel unprepared and lack a paternal role model to guide their parenting. 7. Q: How do men without fathers learn to parent? A: They adopt behaviors from other sources, like male relatives, media, or their mothers. 8. Q: What does "breaking the cycle of absence" mean in fatherhood? A: It refers to men striving to be more present and emotionally supportive than their absent fathers. 9. Q: How does father absence impact family dynamics? A: It creates uncertainty in parenting roles and affects emotional and structural family stability. 10. Q: What societal norms shape modern fatherhood? A: Norms increasingly emphasize emotional caregiving over traditional provider roles. Article 9: Interchangeable Parents  11. Q: What is an example of interchangeable parenting? A: Parents sharing caregiving tasks like feeding or bedtime routines based on availability, not gender. 12. Q: What maternal pressures persist despite interchangeable parenting? A: Mothers often bear more emotional and organizational caregiving labor, such as coordinating activities. 13. Q: How do societal structures limit fathers' caregiving roles? A: Institutions, like schools or healthcare systems, often default to communicating with mothers. 14. Q: What is "caring masculinities"? A: A concept where men embrace nurturing and emotional caregiving roles traditionally associated with women. Article 10: Parenting Mixed Children 15. Q: What are the three parenting styles in mixed households? A: Open individualized, mixed collective, and single collective. 16. Q: How does racial ambivalence affect biracial children? A: It creates confusion or struggle in forming a cohesive racial identity.  17. Q: Why is cultural socialization important in mixed families? A: It helps children understand and take pride in their heritage through practices like cooking or language retention. 18. Q: How do disagreements between parents impact biracial children? A: They can hinder identity development, making it harder for children to connect with their heritage. Article 10: From the Inside Out (Parental Incarceration) 19. Q: What developmental challenges do children of incarcerated parents face? A: Stigmatization, grief, attachment difficulties, and behavioral issues. 20. Q: Why are Indigenous children disproportionately affected by parental incarceration? A: Due to systemic racism and overrepresentation of Indigenous adults in prisons. 21. Q: What is the impact of parental incarceration on infants? A: It disrupts early attachment, leading to insecure relationships and developmental risks. 22. Q: What role does visitation play for children of incarcerated parents? A: It can provide emotional support but often adds stress due to restrictive environments.  23. Q: How does parental incarceration perpetuate intergenerational cycles? A: Children are at higher risk of behavioral issues and future incarceration. Article 11: Family Life on Instagram 24. Q: What is "family display" in digital contexts? A: Publicly sharing family activities to affirm and showcase family bonds. 25. Q: How does Instagram blur private and public family life? A: By sharing curated, idealized images of family moments with broader audiences. 26. Q: What is the role of hashtags in family posts? A: They connect users to specific communities and make family content searchable. 27. Q: How are traditional gender roles reinforced in family Instagram posts? A: Fathers are depicted in active roles, while mothers are shown in domestic or nurturing settings. 28. Q: What is the sociological significance of family display as social capital? A: It reflects how families seek validation and approval through curated online identities. Article 12: Boomeranging Home 29. Q: What economic factors drive millennials to live at home? A: High housing costs, student debt, and precarious job markets. 30. Q: How do cultural norms influence co-residence? A: Some ethnic communities view living with parents as a customary practice of family solidarity. 31. Q: What are the mutual benefits of intergenerational living? A: Financial and emotional support for young adults, and assistance with household tasks for parents. 32. Q: How does co-residence challenge neoliberal individualism? A: It highlights reliance on family support over self-reliance in navigating economic instability. 33. Q: What are the gendered dynamics of domestic labor in co-residence? A: Young adult daughters often take on caregiving roles, reflecting traditional gender norms.