Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 15th Sept 2026, 12:30:55pm EEST
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Daily Overview |
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Oral Session 4: Motherhood, Loss and Transformation Location: Amphitheatre II (KEDEA) Session Chair: Prof. Kristiina Uriko, Tallinn University | |
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Voices Across the Divide: Rethinking Gender Identity and the Tension Between Similarity and Difference in Adult Mother–Daughter Conversations Ruppin Academic Center, Israel Objectives: Mother–daughter relationships are widely recognized as core relational ties shaping women’s identities across the life course. Yet, research rarely examines these relationships in adulthood, particularly across diverse cultural groups or from the mothers’ perspectives. Existing studies typically focus on a single origin group and predominantly feature daughters’ voices, limiting our understanding of how mothers negotiate relational expectations within minority and majority contexts. Guided by Dialogical Self Theory (DST), which conceptualizes the self as a dynamic multiplicity of culturally situated I-positions and internal dialogues, this study explores how mothers from different cultural backgrounds appropriate, negotiate, and integrate societal voices regarding gender, culture, and motherhood. Drawing on critical feminist perspectives, we compare adult mother- daughter relationships among women born in Israel, Ethiopia, and the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Method: Using a mixed-methods design with 190 mothers (ages 45–68), we examined perceptions of gender identity, social distance, and expectations of similarity and difference in mother - daughter relationships. Additionally, 37 mothers participated in semi-structured interviews. Results: Findings reveal distinct cultural patterns. Ethiopian mothers expressed strong feminine and weaker masculine gender identities and reported higher social distance relative to Israeli and FSU mothers. The analysis identified three culturally shaped patterns of similarity and difference expectations, reflecting how mothers’ internal dialogues are shaped by migration histories, minority status, and cultural voices. Conclusions: Through the lens of DST, these patterns illuminate how mothers navigate competing internal and external positions such as traditional gender norms, ideals of equality, and experiences of social exclusion. The study highlights how intersecting inequalities influence adult mother - daughter relationships and shape the internal negotiations women engage in as they construct their identities. The presentation will address these dynamics, challenge constraints on women’s rights across groups, and discuss pathways for reducing inequalities and promoting empowerment to transform oppressive conditions. | |