Motherhood: A Hotbed of Contestation

• In Event: 106 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 06. Family: Interrogating Motherhood and Fatherhood

Abstract

Motherhood is commonly thought of as one of the most benign, natural acts that human beings do. However, less emphasis has been placed on the impact of expectations for proper mothering, and the ways in which this is intricately wound up with notions of femininity and womanhood. These expectations operate at the structural level as well, as pronatalist societies tout the importance of women's role as mother. However, these messages may vary depending on a woman's race or ethnicity. This analysis seeks to explore women's meanings of motherhood by analyzing a selection of popular women's magazines for Black, Latina, and white women and compare the messages that each group may receive from media sources aimed at a large group of women.

Author

• Bette Eulalie Avila, Michigan State University