No Wom(b)an No Cry: Contemplating Wom(b)anhood as Childfree Educators

• In Event: Women's Health and Reproductive Freedom

Abstract

Little thought is often given to the ways in which gendered expectations of motherhood shape the experiences of women educators who are childfree. This collaborative autoethnography weaves together the stories and testimonios of four racially and ethnically diverse women of middle age working in universities across the U.S. to explore their experiences with being childfree women faculty members in the field of education given their varied positionalities. Drawing on the concepts of motherhood, mothering, motherwork and intersectionality, findings provide insights into the unique ways in which their childfree state shapes their work as educators who value and enact caregiving in their roles.

Authors

• Amy Serafini, Auburn University

• Maritza Lozano, California State University - Fullerton

• Shannon M. Calderone, Washington State University

• Melissa A. Martinez, Texas State University