Puzzling with childcare arrangements - A study of how single mothers in Sweden working non-standard hours manage their childcare

Abstract: This thesis deals with the life-puzzle from the context of single mothers working non-standard hours within the health and social care sector. There is a specific focus on this group’s childcare-arrangements with the idea of their puzzles being more complex than many others in this regard. The aim of this study is to see what resources these women have available for managing their puzzles, as well as to explicate what the process of puzzling entail in this context. To do this a qualitative approach was chosen and interviews were performed with women fitting the description. Through scrutinizing the empirical material several relationships are discerned as important for these women’s everyday puzzles. For instance the mother, different workplace relationships and friends/neighbors are distinguished as essential in different manners. These findings are subsequently contrasted with previous research on the topic as well as three theories, namely Habitus, Bricoleur and Articulation work to further attempt elucidate the act of puzzling as well as what it involves. In this manner it is distinguished that puzzling very much is an active, multidimensional and relational process. Overall these women have a fairly complex puzzle to manage each day but in their available relationships and resourcefulness of making the most of what they have, they make all the pieces come together.