Discourses

These four emergent themes will now be analyzed and interpreted for the discourses they frame and constitute in the women's lives (Robertson, 2004). In simple terms, discourse refers to "a body of ideas or ensemble of social practices" that people use to make sense of the world and their position in it (Osborne, 2002, pp. 111–112). While discourse often refers to the language or terms for particular formal disciplines, it also designates "a whole way of speech … [as] a historically situated material practice that produces power relations" (Osborne, 2002, p. 112). As Lewis (1993) suggests moreover, "discursive practices are the stories we believe we can tell to and of ourselves and also the practical engagements these stories imply" (p. 113). In practice therefore, discourses constitute language or actions capable of transforming or preserving the way things are, depending upon who tells the story from what position of power. For the women in this study, the stories that they tell include: (a) discourses of hope, (b) discourses of invasion, (c) discourses of time, (d) discourses of space and mobility, (e) discourses of the female body, and (f) discourses of maternity (Robertson, 2004).

Discourses of Hope

The mothers in this study face significant challenges as they struggle on a daily basis for their very survival in a world that rarely accords them any acknowledgement for their contributions, a world in which they are often treated like they are deficient in fact. Continually being told that they were missing something and treated as if they needed to be watched or given a course from the authorities in the system, the stories that these women tell of their lives are wrenching and truly capture the heart. They also highlight their resilience and their great love for their children as they try to make a better place for their children to live. Many of the mothers spoke of not wanting their children to endure the hardships that they had experienced.