Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The social career of foster parents : the ambivalent meanings of money in the commitment process

Åkerström, Malin LU (2025) In European Journal of Social Work p.1-13
Abstract
This article examines how the meaning of financial compensation may be redefined over time in the lives of Swedish foster parents. Drawing on forty qualitative interviews, I demonstrate that while foster parents may initially downplay or disregard the monetary aspects of fostering, they can later come to depend on this income, not necessarily out of self-interest, but as a means of deepening their engagement and sustaining long-term care commitments.

Inspired by Howard Becker’s concept of side-bets and the notion of a social career, I analyse how foster parenting develops from a temporary or emotionally driven act into a structured, full-time practice. I also draw on Viviana Zelizer’s work on the moral boundaries of money to... (More)
This article examines how the meaning of financial compensation may be redefined over time in the lives of Swedish foster parents. Drawing on forty qualitative interviews, I demonstrate that while foster parents may initially downplay or disregard the monetary aspects of fostering, they can later come to depend on this income, not necessarily out of self-interest, but as a means of deepening their engagement and sustaining long-term care commitments.

Inspired by Howard Becker’s concept of side-bets and the notion of a social career, I analyse how foster parenting develops from a temporary or emotionally driven act into a structured, full-time practice. I also draw on Viviana Zelizer’s work on the moral boundaries of money to understand how compensation can be reinterpreted – from gift, to remuneration, to right.

The analysis identifies six interwoven processes that contribute to this transformation: growing involvement in the welfare bureaucracy; connection with peer communities; unexpected workload; resentment toward social services; narrowing of career alternatives; and the redefinition of fostering as a lifestyle.

By focusing on narrative trajectories rather than static motives, the article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of commitment, morality, and money in contemporary child welfare. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna artikel undersöker hur innebörden av ekonomisk ersättning kan omdefinieras över tid i svenska familjehemsföräldrars liv. Med utgångspunkt i fyrtio kvalitativa intervjuer visar jag att familjehemsföräldrar initialt kan tona ned eller bortse från de ekonomiska aspekterna av uppdraget, men senare komma att vara beroende av denna inkomst – inte nödvändigtvis av egenintresse, utan som ett sätt att fördjupa sitt engagemang och upprätthålla långsiktiga omsorgsåtaganden.

Inspirerad av Howard Beckers begrepp *side-bets* och idén om en social karriär analyserar jag hur familjehemsföräldraskap utvecklas från en tillfällig eller känslomässigt styrd handling till en strukturerad heltidspraktik. Jag använder även Viviana Zelizers arbete... (More)
Denna artikel undersöker hur innebörden av ekonomisk ersättning kan omdefinieras över tid i svenska familjehemsföräldrars liv. Med utgångspunkt i fyrtio kvalitativa intervjuer visar jag att familjehemsföräldrar initialt kan tona ned eller bortse från de ekonomiska aspekterna av uppdraget, men senare komma att vara beroende av denna inkomst – inte nödvändigtvis av egenintresse, utan som ett sätt att fördjupa sitt engagemang och upprätthålla långsiktiga omsorgsåtaganden.

Inspirerad av Howard Beckers begrepp *side-bets* och idén om en social karriär analyserar jag hur familjehemsföräldraskap utvecklas från en tillfällig eller känslomässigt styrd handling till en strukturerad heltidspraktik. Jag använder även Viviana Zelizers arbete om pengars moraliska gränser för att förstå hur ersättning kan omtolkas – från gåva, till arvode, till rättighet.

Analysen identifierar sex sammanflätade processer som bidrar till denna förändring: involvering i välfärdsbyråkratin; involvering i gemenskaper i familjehemsvärden; en oväntad arbetsbörda; frustration gentemot socialtjänsten; begränsning av karriäralternativ; samt omdefinieringen av familjehemsföräldraskapet som en försörjning eller livsstil.

Genom att fokusera på förlopp snarare än statiska motiv, som såväl forskning som socialpolitiken fokuserat, bidrar artikeln till en mer nyanserad förståelse av engagemang, moral och pengar inom samtida barnavård.

The analysis identifies six interwoven processes that contribute to this transformation: growing involvement in the welfare bureaucracy; connection with peer communities; unexpected workload; resentment toward social services; narrowing of career alternatives; and the redefinition of fostering as a lifestyle.

By focusing on narrative trajectories rather than static motives, the article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of commitment, morality, and money in contemporary child welfare. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
alternative title
Familjehemsföräldrars sociala karriär : Pengars skiftande betydelse i åtagandeprocessen
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
European Journal of Social Work
pages
13 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
ISSN
1369-1457
DOI
10.1080/13691457.2025.2600659
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c9558ce3-0649-4304-bdb4-9291417da9d1
date added to LUP
2025-12-19 21:06:11
date last changed
2025-12-22 10:31:11
@article{c9558ce3-0649-4304-bdb4-9291417da9d1,
  abstract     = {{This article examines how the meaning of financial compensation may be redefined over time in the lives of Swedish foster parents. Drawing on forty qualitative interviews, I demonstrate that while foster parents may initially downplay or disregard the monetary aspects of fostering, they can later come to depend on this income, not necessarily out of self-interest, but as a means of deepening their engagement and sustaining long-term care commitments.<br/><br/>Inspired by Howard Becker’s concept of side-bets and the notion of a social career, I analyse how foster parenting develops from a temporary or emotionally driven act into a structured, full-time practice. I also draw on Viviana Zelizer’s work on the moral boundaries of money to understand how compensation can be reinterpreted – from gift, to remuneration, to right.<br/><br/>The analysis identifies six interwoven processes that contribute to this transformation: growing involvement in the welfare bureaucracy; connection with peer communities; unexpected workload; resentment toward social services; narrowing of career alternatives; and the redefinition of fostering as a lifestyle.<br/><br/>By focusing on narrative trajectories rather than static motives, the article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of commitment, morality, and money in contemporary child welfare.}},
  author       = {{Åkerström, Malin}},
  issn         = {{1369-1457}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1--13}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Social Work}},
  title        = {{The social career of foster parents : the ambivalent meanings of money in the commitment process}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2600659}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13691457.2025.2600659}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}