I am because I have to be: Exploring one mother-worker's identity of the surrendered self through stories of mothering neurodiverse children

Abstract

Our qualitative study delves into the life history of a mother-worker caring for two neurodiverse children, surfacing how the intensive mental load of balancing domestic and professional responsibilities permeates and shapes her identity. Employing narrative analysis and photovoice methods, we investigate how she navigates the logistical and emotional complexities in both roles across three distinct storytelling events: storying (mis)diagnoses, storying care needs and work negotiations, and storying coping. Our primary contribution lies in introducing the concept of the surrendered self, signaling the amplified and prolonged embodiment of one's provisional identity (mother) based on socio-cultural expectations of who she thinks she ought to be, leading to the eclipse of other possible identities (woman, wife, worker).