19

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the results of semi-structured interviews of mothers in a situation of socio-economic uncertainty. It analyses the “maternal experience” through the mothers’ childhood, marital relationship, maternal role, and the social support they seek. It assesses the way they represent their maternity on the basis of these different aspects. Eighteen mothers of children (average age 44 months), in a two-parent situation, were seen separately at the time of semi-structured interviews. Three elements emerge from the analysis of their discourse: the significance of the traditional model of maternity, substantial investment for the child and the active search for support from their family and from the social services to resolve their financial difficulties.