Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains
This paper offers a life-course stress process perspective on maternal role strain as a ‘pain of imprisonment’ by engaging the concept of ‘family complexity’ in the context of mass incarceration I consider how the living arrangements of minor siblings (i.e., those living apart or together) during ma...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/6/3/81 |
| _version_ | 1811295510943760384 |
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| author | Holly Foster |
| author_facet | Holly Foster |
| author_sort | Holly Foster |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper offers a life-course stress process perspective on maternal role strain as a ‘pain of imprisonment’ by engaging the concept of ‘family complexity’ in the context of mass incarceration I consider how the living arrangements of minor siblings (i.e., those living apart or together) during maternal incarceration functions as a form of family complexity. When minor children live apart from their siblings, they may experience more isolation which may further serve as a stressor for incarcerated mothers. A positive association between siblings living apart and maternal role strain would support a process of ‘stress proliferation’ across the prison-family interface. I investigate these connections using survey-based data on mothers with multiple minor children (n = 80) collected in 2011 from a voluntary sample of respondents housed in a federal minimum security prison in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression results indicate that minor siblings living apart during periods of maternal confinement elevates role strain among mothers (odds ratio = 3.66, p < 0.05). This connection is indicative of an ‘inter-institutional strain.’ Finally, children’s age also increases maternal role strain, but this finding is explained by sibling living arrangements during the mother’s incarceration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:34:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b1442127aa74190ba26b6114e92cdc7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:34:32Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b1442127aa74190ba26b6114e92cdc72022-12-22T03:00:20ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602017-07-01638110.3390/socsci6030081socsci6030081Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role StrainsHolly Foster0Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAThis paper offers a life-course stress process perspective on maternal role strain as a ‘pain of imprisonment’ by engaging the concept of ‘family complexity’ in the context of mass incarceration I consider how the living arrangements of minor siblings (i.e., those living apart or together) during maternal incarceration functions as a form of family complexity. When minor children live apart from their siblings, they may experience more isolation which may further serve as a stressor for incarcerated mothers. A positive association between siblings living apart and maternal role strain would support a process of ‘stress proliferation’ across the prison-family interface. I investigate these connections using survey-based data on mothers with multiple minor children (n = 80) collected in 2011 from a voluntary sample of respondents housed in a federal minimum security prison in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression results indicate that minor siblings living apart during periods of maternal confinement elevates role strain among mothers (odds ratio = 3.66, p < 0.05). This connection is indicative of an ‘inter-institutional strain.’ Finally, children’s age also increases maternal role strain, but this finding is explained by sibling living arrangements during the mother’s incarceration.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/6/3/81maternal incarcerationminor children’s sibling living arrangementsfamily complexitymaternal role strains |
| spellingShingle | Holly Foster Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains Social Sciences maternal incarceration minor children’s sibling living arrangements family complexity maternal role strains |
| title | Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains |
| title_full | Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains |
| title_fullStr | Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains |
| title_short | Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains |
| title_sort | family complexity and the stress process in prison how sibling living arrangements of minor children influence maternal role strains |
| topic | maternal incarceration minor children’s sibling living arrangements family complexity maternal role strains |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/6/3/81 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hollyfoster familycomplexityandthestressprocessinprisonhowsiblinglivingarrangementsofminorchildreninfluencematernalrolestrains |