Digital Parenting Narratives and Social Work Practice: How Russian Podcast Representations of Motherhood and Fatherhood Shape Family Dynamics and Service Engagement

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. 2026. Vol. 43. P. 1735–1746.

Mikhaylova O., Maksuta E.

Purpose: This study examines representations of parenting practices in Russian-language podcasts to inform child and family social work practice in an increasingly digital media landscape.

Basic procedures: We conducted inductive qualitative content analysis of 65 Russian-language parenting podcasts published on iTunes in May 2022. Data collection employed purposive and snowball sampling strategies, with analysis following systematic coding procedures to ensure credibility and dependability.

Main findings: Seven distinct parenting representations emerged: scientifically informed (n=22), mothering (n=19), education-focused (n=6), fathering (n=6), child identity-focused (n=5), prenatal (n=5), and active coparenting (n=2). The dominant representation portrayed competent, educated mothers as primary caregivers, while fatherhood was marginalized and depicted as natural rather than learned. "Scientifically informed" parenting created pressure for expert validation, potentially undermining parental confidence and affecting help-seeking behaviors.

Conclusions: Podcast representations may shape client expectations, parental self‑efficacy, and family dynamics encountered in social work practice. These findings have important implications for assessment, intervention planning, and the development of digitally-informed family support services. Social workers need media literacy skills to address unrealistic parenting expectations and support families navigating digital media influences on parenting practices.

Keywords: Digital Media, Parenting, child welfare, family dynamics, media literacy, social work practice, father engagement, maternal support, cultural representation, family services