The dissertation presents the author's sociological conception that explains the social practices of mothering, and the results of its empirical testing on the example of contemporary Ukrainian society. The main scientific novelty of the obtained results is a comprehensive conception of mothering as a social practice and its applying for the analysis of mothering practices, and both mechanisms of their structuring and changes in the modern Ukrainian society. The most significant results of the research are the following ones. Firstly, the author developed the conceptual apparatus of the research represented by the concepts of mothering, care for a child, motherhood structures, resources of childcare. Secondly, this is the conceptual idea of multilevel ground of structuring mothering practices at different levels and fields of society that allows overcoming the contradictions between macro and micro approaches to the conceptualization of mothering. The author revealed the mechanism of mothering practices structuring and analytically distinguished macro, meso- and micro-levels and fields, represented by the state policy, economy (labor market), a family and culture. Thirdly, the author carried out the comprehensive analysis of the macro level of structuring mothering and childcare practices in contemporary Ukrainian society represented by the relations between politics, economy, family and culture that create a system of opportunities (resources) and limitations of these practices. Fourthly, the author demonstrated the cognitive capabilities of the structure-agency perspective for research on the routine (everyday) mothering practices and the micro level of their structuring in contemporary Ukrainian society. The main dimensions of such structuring are identified, related to mother's position on a labor market, an access to resources of childcare, family structure, gender division of labor in a family, and mother's personal strategies etc. Fifthly, the author has developed the typology of practices of care for children as reproducing the gender system, within which women are responsible for this care, or transforming this system. The models of "exclusive mothering" and "shared parenting", based on the gender distribution criteria of responsibility for childcare, were differentiated by the number of structural, cultural and activity characteristics.
