Parents despite support networks? An intersectional analysis of disabled parenthood

This article uses an intersectional perspective that considers patriarchal and ableist mandates to understand how family and professional support networks impact the reproductive trajectories of disabled people. The study analyzes 16 semi-structured interviews with disabled people and 1 with a non-d...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sanmiquel-Molinero, Laura, Pujol-Tarrés, Joan, Montenegro, Marisela
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/422830
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/422830
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:dis/ableism
disability
intersectionality
parenting
support networks
Descripción
Sumario:This article uses an intersectional perspective that considers patriarchal and ableist mandates to understand how family and professional support networks impact the reproductive trajectories of disabled people. The study analyzes 16 semi-structured interviews with disabled people and 1 with a non-disabled support worker. Thematic analysis of the empirical material identifies twomain themes.Firstly, supporting the desire to mother at the intersection. Participants critically reflect on the impact of their support networksas a condition of (im)possibility for the emergence of the desire for parenthood, highlighting that these networks can react negatively due to the intersection of systems of oppression, which requires participants’ emotional work. Secondly, negotiating care assemblages: claiming interdependence in parenthood. Participants who are parents actively negotiate the limits of the support provided by their interpersonal networks to sustain their parenthood. In this conflictive process, patriarchal and ableist mandates are both reproduced and subverted. In conclusion, the study suggests that there is a tension between the reproduction and subversion of ableist and patriarchal mandates in the support networks of disabled people.