Solely Carers and Nurturers?

Abstract Dominant discourses surrounding motherhood assume mothers to be self-sacrificing, omnipresent, and ever willing and able to respond to the needs and wants of their children. This article argues that, in the context of violent conflict and exile, mothering becomes yet more laden with expectations as mothers are faced with critical situations. The article draws on research from an intersectional perspective that is aimed at a better understanding of the trajectories of refugees from Syria who have settled in Canada and Lebanon and for whom motherhood emerged as a salient aspect of identity and experience. The article argues that more attention should be paid to the social construction of motherhood through its transformation in the context of violent conflict and exile. The article is concerned with the identities that these experiences unfold for mothers, far beyond simplistic binaries of “good” versus “bad” mothers. The article explores how three refugee mothers from Syria who experienced forced migration have nurtured their children, while it reveals their realities of discrimination and empowerment at the crossroads of structural dominant forces.