In our modern day social world, the term “mommy guilt” has become synonymous with negative emotional feelings that working moms live with each day. The reality is that this phenomenon continues to be a concern of women throughout generations. In spite of a mother’s ethnic or socio-economic background, she is eventually faced with balancing ideological notions of mothers who work and her own consciousness of guilt as a result of her choices. The exploration of the complex characteristics and concept of guilt stem from a mother’s sense of responsibility (Elvin-Nowak, 1999, p. 74). Yet, whether perceived or not, this awareness brings on heighten levels of guilt that is realized as never before. The theoretical descriptions of a working mother’s …show more content…
Does her religious, ethnic, and family dynamic play a role in her decision to either return to work or not to work? Studying the disposition of African American, Hispanic, and Asian women can provide another look into how working mothers depict themselves as related to mainstream media and family. Buzzanell, Waymer, Tagle, Liu (2007) point to a variety of cultural constructs that shape working mother’s opinion of herself and the world around her such as: ethnicity, social-economic background, and family influence (p. 198). Similarly, their detailed examination of identity and cultural contradictions about motherhood, work, and family with Hispanic women and bonding, Asian women and relational duties, and African American women and autonomy also offers a complex look into understanding how mother’s self-identify and find value in their motherhood and …show more content…
(2006) supports other researchers that claims that the guilt that mothers feel is associated with their feelings of being a bad mother and leaving their child in the hands of a child care provider. While research concerning this theory may have proven to be true over time, other factors may be at the core root of the guilt felt by working mothers. In this qualitative study, the researchers seek to define the decisions and feelings brought about with a mother’s choice to work (Leach at al. 2006, p. 475). The research also takes an intimate look into the lives of 57 employed moms and their daily interaction with caregivers, constant review of their own feelings, and worries associated with being absent. They examined areas of attachment, separation anxiety, and maternity to birth. Their findings showed that most of the women had positive attitudes, was seeking to advance in their career, and also find child care they are content with (Leach at al. 2006, p.
Read, Katy. "Regrets of a stay-at-home mom." Real Families. Salon, 05 Jan 2011. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
Their ethnographic study included about 162 women. The sample was limited to mothers making less than $16,000 per year, placing them under the federal poverty line. All the women lived in neighborhoods where at least twenty percent were poor. Each had at least one child under eighteen living at home. They also were classified single mothers, though few actually maintained their own household. They ranged in age from fifteen to fifty-six, with an average of twenty five years of age. Forty-five percent had no high school diploma, but fifteen percent had a GED. Of these women, forty percent worked low income service jobs. The authors had informal interactions with the wome...
... mother wanted to be in school (Pai 45). She instilled a hard work ethic and a desire for education in her children. In addition to parenting, she provided her husband with assistance and labor in his upholstery business. A small Korean business, such as Kwon’s upholstery company, could not have survived without the unpaid, long hour labor provided by the wife (Parrenas 363). This gendered hierarchy that demands Asian women to undertake the unrecognized, monotonous tasks is not only a survival tactic for small businesses but also the leading cause for women to have a “double day,” contributing to long hours in the family business and providing most, if not all, of the parenting and housework (Parrenas 364). Parallel to this gendered hierarchy concept, Lee worked full time as a seamstress, secretary, and overseer of the employees while Kwon went out on calls (78).
For Hays, intensive mothering is characterized as child-centered parenting in which the mother, as the supposed primary caregiver, must personally obligate herself to the enhancement of her child’s intellectual capacity (Hays 414). Intensive mothers believe that meeting the needs of their child is intrinsically necessary, even in the expense of their careers, and requires substantial investment of mental, emotional, moral, and physical energy. However, as part of her cynical questioning, Hays emphasizes that the practice of intensive mothering is a social construct that is situated within a specific economic and historical context (Hays 410). Therefore, intensive mothering is neither natural nor
Before David turns 30 years, he has been to a top-university and married to an amazing girl. He also mentions that he is rich and everything goes well. It sounds like the most wonderful life. Based on that, it seems like David is very happy and confident about his life.
However, the Mocha Moms do in fact work; just not in the labor market. They perform domestic duties similar to the black women in the early 1900s, but their “work” is centered on caring for their families, which is a huge dissimilarity from black women of the past. Black women who entered the workforce as domestics had dual roles; they had to care for their employer’s children and home only to leave and perform the same type of duties for their own families. But Mocha Moms do not have to care for someone else’s children because they are able to devote majority of their time to their
In Cameron MacDonald, “Shadow Mothers: Nannies, Au Pairs, And the Micropolitics of Mothering”, explores the concept of what is a “good mother” when it comes to a working mother and a hire caregiver for a child. Many women are choosing to work, which requires them to hire a caregiver for their children that sometimes can take the place of the mother. There as been a rise with the employment of nannies. Many individuals in the world view mothers that work outside the home as neglecting the duties as a mother. Which sometimes cause the caregiver to step up and become this “Shadow Mother” figure for the child. The theme of the book is surrounded around this ideology of what motherhood is supposed to be when it pertains to the family;
Numerous studies have been conducted that indicate mothers with depression prior to birth and after birth can affect infant development. These include cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional aspects. This paper will be examining two articles with similar methodologies and various responses displayed in the participants. Both articles take on similar approaches; however, one article examines how less-competent mothers with depression, negatively influences child behavior and the latter takes on the approach that maternal depression is a psychological response to economic pressures leading to negative responses to a child (Newland, Crnic, Cox & Mills-Koonce, 2013, p. 96). Wang and Dix (2013) examine the levels of depression and differences of behavior in depressed mothers and how this further influences a child’s development. This article found that children with depressed mothers that are highly competent and are able to do tasks efficiently and successfully may develop just as well as children with non-depressed mothers (Wang and Dix., 2013, p. 893). Alternatively, another article examines a variety of maternal psychological symptoms arising from early economic pressures and later parenting behaviors (Newland et al., 2013, p. 96). Furthermore, Newland et al. (2013) suggests that as a result of lower socioeconomic status, both depression and anxiety play a negative role in parenting behaviors (p. 96). Overall, this study suggests that economic hardships and pressures have an indirect influence on parents’ caregiving.
Motherhood is a compassionate kinship between the mother and her offspring. Becoming a mother can be planned or unplanned depending on the person. Families tend to cherish the new beginning to a little human life. When someone decides to have a new life, it isn’t easy, and not only can some women not get pregnant, but the variation your body endures is amazing. The body goes through many life changing experiences. Some women can gain weight, or have a rollercoaster of emotions due to their hormones. Having a child is a very hard thing, because your whole life changes and it’s not all about you anymore. Children cannot control the family or mothers they have when born, they aren’t able to understand the concept of what is happening with their mothers or families until they are older. In novels, Incidents in the Life of a Slave girl, by Harriet A. Jacobs and The Awakening by Kate Chopin motherhood is portrayed in many different ways. The two stories differ in my way but both encounter similarities of motherhood in various ways.
Many different aspects of life characterize motherhood. Traditions along with society influence the role of motherhood. Carol Stacks' "All our Kin," is an essay about the "structuring of kin groups" (1974, p.47). In the society, if the mother is not mature enough to raise the child, a close female relative takes on the role of the mother; whereas, the man has the option of choosing to claim the child and take on the responsibilities of fatherhood or he can imply that the father could be anyone, which is a socially acceptable reason. Ruth Horowitz' "The Expanded Family and Family Honor," portrays a Mexican Family as a "nuclear family unit" within an "expanded family" (1983, p.64). After marriage, motherhood is an expected dominating role in the woman's life. The man is portrayed as independent and dominating over his immediate family. Motherhood, accepted in both societies, is characterized by the woman's behavior before birth, her role as the caretaker as established by society and the influence of the father, and the bonds she forms with her children.
Actress Jessica Lange once said, “The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your universe. You relinquish that position to your children. ” Lange’s statement implies motherhood comprises of selflessness, that women have a natural inclination to forswear their aspirations to assist their children to pursue their own. Nonetheless, other prevalent notions about motherhood share this same idiosyncrasy. Motherhood places the child’s needs above everyone else’s. Mothers who devote themselves to their children develop a large portion of their identities through their roles as mothers, sometimes to the point where they will do nothing else but raise their children. This is especially
The idea that a woman’s job is to be a wife and mother is old-fashioned, but not completely out of style. Though these roles require a great deal of talent, resilience, patience, love, and strength, to name a few, they are often underestimated or depicted as simple. Especially in modern times, many women in the United States who stay home to raise a family are viewed as anti-feminists, whereas women in Latin America are not criticized for similar actions. In recent decades, more Latin American women have started to break the mold, daring to be both sexy, and successful in the workforce, while remaining pillars of domestic life.
The author of this article talks about “womanism”, a term that was brought up by Black women. The article features black motherhood and how mothers fight against gender roles in their cultures. The author shows interest in this topic and explains how womanism challenges traditional gender roles thoroughly. Black women face a lot prejudice and I find it incredibly brave that they are having their voices heard and are becoming active in the gender role movement.
Parenting in today’s society is extremely competitive. Raising children has become the new sport interest to the parents, and the success that the kids achieve in life is the gold medal. You see the articles in magazines, the websites online, and the ads on TV that promote the newest and greatest parenting methods used by mothers and father everywhere. The differences we see in parenting can differ from family to family, but the biggest contrast is between the different ethnicities of the world. How a Western mother raises her child may be completely different than that of a Chinese mother. These differences are the ones that are observed by author Amy Chua, as well as mothers who have read her works of literature.
Men and women are working harder than ever to survive in today's tough economy. It's a big challenge for low and middle class families to survive. To meet growing demands, it's getting difficult for families to depend on one income. To contribute to family income, mothers are coming forward and joining the workforce. Working mothers are the one who takes care of the family and work outside the home. They may be a single mothers or married mothers. Working mothers usually work to support their family financially. Some of the mothers work, just because they are more career-oriented. Working mothers may work part time or full time. Women are now the primary or only income source for 40% of US households with kids, according to a new Pew survey (Wang, Parker and Taylor, ch. 1). They play a major role in raising their family and doing household chores. There are many reasons that why mothers should work.