This paper addresses the occupational behavior of mothers of young children, focusing on the relationships between the environment, the women's mothering role, and their daily routines. In this study, the use of qualitative methods and a socio-political perspective revealed the meanings the women's mothering role has for them, and the ways in which its content and enactment are shaped within a wider context of social and economic relationships. This paper discusses the implications the study findings have on developing the concept of role in occupational therapy models of practice, and their contribution to developing a science of occupation.
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