For the Children: Notions of Childhood in Women's Narratives of Home in Rural Newfoundland*

Abstract

When rural women involved in a research project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada told stories about home, many shared a common narrative of a changing rural childhood. I discuss the ways in which these women's narratives engaged with notions of change in relation to childhood in rural Newfoundland. I argue that research on changing notions of childhood and how these affect the residential decisions of parents and mothers is required to better understand the reasons people move to or away from rural areas. This topic deserves broader attention from scholars and policy makers.