Reflections of an Indian academic mother during COVID-19: An autoethnographic account
What is it about?
This article is an autoethnographic account of an Indian working mother, and her challenges during the pandemic. The article offers the readers a peek into the lived experience of the author over a time span to showcase and celebrate vulnerabilities and how she harnessed the powers of self-compassion – which can be a universal phenomenon for ourselves and other mothers – in academia.
Why is it important?
Even though there have been advances made in the current Indian sociocultural landscape, there are still tropes of patriarchy present within the system, which further exacerbates the mothering challenges. Using a social-constructionist lens, this personal account will present a slice of change within the traditional Indian family system through the lens of gender equality – equal parenting and shared responsibility within the household. Along with this, how building elements of self-compassion and mindfulness practices in the author’s daily routine aided in skillfully maneuvering the grips of COVID-19 fatigue is also be presented.