Shadow Mothers: Nannies, Au Pairs, And The Micropolitics Of Mothering Analysis

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 surround around this ideology of what motherhood is suppose to be when it pertains to the family; However, over

For instance, the family decline perspective basically say how the culture and moral of the family is breaking down or weak (Newman and Grauerholz, 2002, p. 20). The culture of family has not decline because of caregivers being employed. MacDonald did a great job illustrating that a woman can actually have it all even if it requires help. In addition, this family decline perspective promotes this atmosphere how women are not as value as men when it comes to the public sphere and private sphere of the family. For instance, why did not the public feel like the father neglected this duties to protect the family through any endangerment. Many in society have this ideology of a separate sphere, that oppresses women. The separate sphere is surrounded around this notion that a woman place in society is in the private sphere which can be referred as the home ( Newman and Grauerholz, 2002, p.284). While the man is able to explore in the public sphere which is anywhere outside the home. In order to be a “good mother”, a woman should make sure that she is taking care of the home and responsibility for her maternal duties. However, that notion of women being located in this private sphere has changed because McDonald has reported that “seventy percent of all mothers in the United States work outside the home” (MacDonald, 2010, p.1). There, only thirty percent of mothers are staying at home. However, that goes with the notion that if a woman can afford to stay home that she should. According to MacDonald’s, she conceptualizes women that work as a “Volvo- Class”, “Women who presumably were married to high earning husbands and also presumably could afford to stay home”. These women that might be apart of the Volvo-class are assume to stay home and raise their children instead of hiring a caregiver. However, women who are not apart of the Volvo-class that collect government checks are not allowed