Negotiating the Complexities of Mothering: An Autoethnography
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47540/ijqr.v3i2.883Keywords:
Child-rearing, Mothering, TeachingAbstract
This research delved into the nuanced experiences of a first-time mother. Using the lens of autoethnography, she provided an elaborate narrative of how she navigated the complex social role of motherhood. The study highlighted how she negotiated the inherent contradictions within the motherhood experience as both liberating and restrictive. The exploration focused on uncovering the intricate web of social and cultural influences that shaped and influenced her mothering practices, particularly within the context of the good mother ideology and the prevailing culture of intensive mothering which imposes idealized standards of motherhood. A significant emphasis of the study was made on her dual role as a mother and a teacher, examining her roles as a mediator of nature and culture. The autoethnography further unveiled the intricacies of conflicts, contradictions, and complexities that emerged from her interactions with significant others and society in general. The implication of this research is multifaceted and extends beyond the individual narrative of the first-time mother, offering a nuanced analysis of the intricate connection between personal agency and external pressures in the realm of motherhood. The examination of these intricacies calls for a reevaluation of the expectations and standards surrounding motherhood. By highlighting the impacts of social and cultural factors on mothering practices, this study emphasizes the need to critically assess and redefine prevailing standards to be able to account for the diversity in maternal experiences. Overall, the study advocates for a more inclusive approach to understanding the varied experiences of motherhood.
References
Abetz, J., & Moore, J. (2018). Welcome to the mommy wars, ladies: Making sense of the ideology of combative mothering in mommy blogs. Communication Culture & Critique, 11(2), 265–281.
Akehurst, G., & Scott, S. (2023). Out of the blue and into it: Autoethnography, emotions and complicated grief. Qualitative Research, 23(2), 434–450.
Arendell, T. (2000). Conceiving and investigating motherhood: The decade’s scholarship. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(4), 1192–1207.
Baker, C. E. (2018). Working mothers: The relationship between intensive mothering and work-family conflict [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. Minnesota State University Mankato.
Barron-Hauwaert, S. (2004). 1. The One-Parent-One-Language Approach. What is it?. In Language Strategies for Bilingual Families: The one-parent-one-language Approach (pp. 1-22). Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters.
Bassin, D., Honey, M., & Kaplan, M. M. (Eds.). (1994). Representations of Motherhood. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Bialystok, E. (2020, May 29). Bilingual Effects on Cognition in Children. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.
Bornstein, M. H. (2015). “Children’s parents,” in Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, 7th Edn, Vol. 4, eds M. H. Bornstein, T. Leventhal, and R. M. Lerner (Hoboken NJ: Wiley), 55–132.
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. (2017). Mom shaming or constructive criticism? Perspectives of mothers. Michigan Medicine, 29(3).
Chae, J. (2015). “Am I a better mother than you?” Media and 21st-century motherhood in the context of the social comparison theory. Communication Research, 42(4), 503–525.
Chang, H. (2013). Individual and Collaborative Autoethnography as Method. Forum: Qualitative Research, 12(1), Article 10.
Chodorow, N. (1998). Why women mother. In K. V. Hansen, & A. I. Garey (Eds.), Families in the U.S.: Kinship and domestic politics (pp. 271–293). Temple UP.
Constantinou, G, Varela, S. & Buckby, B. (2021). Reviewing the experiences of maternal guilt – the “Motherhood Myth” influence. Health Care for Women International. 42. 1-25.
Dahlberg, K. (2006). The essence of essences- the search for meaning structures in phenomenological analysis of lifeworld phenomena. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 1, 11–19.
De Sousa Machado, T., Chur-Hansen, A., & Due, C. (2020). First-time mothers' perceptions of social support: Recommendations for best practice. Health Psychology Open, 7(1), 2055102919898611.
Douglas, S., & Michaels, M. (2004). The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Ellis, C., Adams, T. E., & Bochner, A. P. (2011). Autoethnography: An Overview. Forum: Qualitative Research, 12(1), Article 10.
Elvin-Nowak, Y., & Thomsson, H. (2001). Motherhood as Idea and Practice: A Discursive Understanding of Employed Mothers in Sweden. Gender & Society, 15(3), 407–428.
Given, L. M. (Ed.). (2008). The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE Publications.
Hays, S. (1996). The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Higgins, E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94(3), 319–340.
Hughes, S., & Pennington, J. (2017). Autoethnography: Introduction and Overview. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Jones, S. H., Adams, T. E., & Ellis, C. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of Autoethnography. Routledge Press.
Lanctot, N., & Turcotte, M. (2017). The ‘good mother’ struggles: Obstacles to the attainment of motherhood ideals among adult women formerly placed in residential care. Child and Family Social Work, 23(1), 80–87.
Marian, V., & Shook, A. (2012). The cognitive benefits of being bilingual. Cerebrum: the Dana forum on brain science, 2012, 13.
Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self, and Society. London: The University of Chicago Press.
O'Reilly, A. (2004). From Motherhood to Mothering: The Legacy of Adrienne Rich's of Woman Born. New York: State University of New York Press.
Orton-Johnson, K. (2017). Mummy blogs and representations of motherhood: “Bad mummies” and their readers. Social Media and Society, 3(2), 1–10.
Phoenix, A. and Woollett, A. (1991) `Motherhood: Social Construction, Politics and Psychology', in A. Phoenix et al. (eds) Motherhood: Meanings, Practices and Ideologies. London: Sage.
San Jose, A., Rigor-San Jose, B., & Robles-Concepcion, M. G. (2021). Mothers as Teachers: The New Role of Mothers in the New Normal.
Scott-Jones, D. (1987). Mother-as-Teacher in the Families of High- and Low-Achieving Low-Income Black First-Graders. The Journal of Negro Education, 56(1), 21–34.
Suppes, A. (2020). Do Women Need to Have Children in Order to Be Fulfilled? A System Justification Account of the Motherhood Norm. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(7), 999-1010.
Tarlow, B. (1996). Caring: A negotiated process that varies. In S. Gordon, P. Benner, & N. Noddings (Eds.), Caregiving: Readings in knowledge, practice, ethics, and politics (pp. 56-82). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Turner, P. K., & Norwood, K. (2013). Unbounded motherhood: Embodying a good working mother identity. Management Communication Quarterly, 27(3), 396–424.
Warner, J. (2005). Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety. NewYork: Riverhead
Williamson, T., Wagstaff, D. L., Goodwin, J., et al. (2023). Mothering Ideology: A Qualitative Exploration of Mothers’ Perceptions of Navigating Motherhood Pressures and Partner Relationships. Sex Roles, 88, 101–117.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2023 Melissa Prudencio Calica
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
