Vivências de mães solo universitárias no contexto amazônico: as reverberações do abandono paterno na trajetória acadêmica

Abstract

The expression “solo mother” has gained prominence in contemporary society as an attempt to deconstruct the pejorative connotation associated with the civil status “single mother.” Historically, the term has been viewed through the lens of social control in patriarchal societies, where motherhood served as a means of subjugating women to men. In Brazil, the majority of solo mothers are Black women, primarily concentrated in the North and Northeast regions. Among these women, only a limited portion is able to access and remain in higher education, which highlights the persistence of structural inequalities deeply rooted in Brazilian social, racial, and territorial contexts. It is within this scenario of challenges that this dissertation is situated, aligned with the research line Psychosocial Processes and linked to the HUMANITAS – CT&I FAPEAM Project. The research aims to analyze the possible reverberations of paternal abandonment on the academic trajectory and university persistence of solo mothers in the Amazonian context. Methodologically, this study is characterized as qualitative, exploratory, and field-based, grounded in Socio Historical Psychology. Data collection was carried out through narrative interviews with three university mothers, two black women and one white woman, all from the interior of Amazonas and studying at the UFAM and UEA campuses in Parintins. Data analysis was conducted using the Core of Meaning technique, based on the Theoretical Methodological framework of Socio-Historical Psychology. The clustering of pre indicators generated 12 indicators, which enabled the construction of four meaning core: Core 1 – The Struggle for Educational Access: Between Interruptions and New Beginnings; Core 2 – University Persistence Amidst Challenges: Reconciling Realities and Resisting; Core 3 – Paternal Negligence, Motherhood, and the Strength of Children That Drives the Academic Journey; Core 4 – The University as a Space of Transformation, Potential, and Limitations for Student Mothers. The results reveal that the students’ educational paths were marked by interruptions and new beginnings, evident since their early years. At university, they faced several challenges, from financial hardship to the lack of infrastructure and basic resources. Still, throughout their trajectory, they were able to rely on their support networks. One of the most relevant findings was the reverberation of paternal neglect, characterized by the omission of care that places the entire burden on mothers. Paternal abandonment impacts academic trajectories, generating dilemmas and feelings of guilt among students who must leave their children in order to study. The university also represents a space for transformation and re signification, however, its structural limitations, such as the absence of baby-changing facilities and institutional support, overlook the specificities of motherhood, reinforcing gender, territorial, and social inequalities. Thus, this research contributes to unveiling the invisibility of solo motherhood within the university and to guiding public policies that consider parental co-responsibility, as well as more inclusive student policies, ensuring equity and the right to quality education in the unique Amazonian context.