PhD Dissertation Defense

Monday April 14, 2025
Diabetes, Familial Bonds, and Emotional Experience: A Qualitative Study on Latinx Mothers with Type 2 Diabetes and the Mother-Child Relationships

Berty DC Arreguin

In this dissertation, I examine the gendered emotive experiences of Latinx mothers who have Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their adult children and how these experiences shape diabetes management. Applying a Sociology of Emotions framework, I examine the nature of their emotive experiences (their feelings over time, and the work they do to manage these emotions) and how these experiences main, in turn, affect diabetes management. Overall, I find that Latinx mothers with T2D face a triple burden when managing diabetes; they not only have to manage structural barriers and the social stigma of T2D, but they also feel they must hide their negative experiences to prioritize others and fulfill their social role as caregivers. Latinx mothers see strong emotions as leading to diabetes diagnosis, as well as shaping their experiences after diagnosis and their ability to manage their condition. But they cannot fully manage their diabetes due to prioritizing childrearing and household tasks, often not sharing symptoms or when they feel ill so as not to worry their children. Additionally, food is laden with complex double meaning for both mothers and their children, as both a symbol of care (positive) as well as a moral failure (negative). For their part, adult children react when they view their mother not taking diabetes management “seriously,” try to step into the role of monitor and/or caregiver and often fear that they too will be diagnosed with diabetes in the future—witnessing and participating in the chronic illness journey. All in all, this dissertation illuminates Latinx families’ emotive experience of T2D and the additional relational barriers they face to diabetes management, with important implications for policy makers and providers seeking to mitigate health inequalities in Latinx communities and lessen the barriers Latinx communities face in preventive care and diabetes management.

When: Monday April 14, 2025

Time: 10:00 am

Where (in person): Valley Tower, 2nd floor, #210 Sapphire Room

Zoom: send inquiry to [email protected]