Embedded Gender Emotion Work Among Stepmothers in Non-Denominational Christian Ministry

• In Event: 4467 - Section on Social Psychology Refereed Roundtables (Cosponsored with Section on Sociology of Emotions)
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 9: Religion

Abstract

Stepmothers face complex emotional challenges navigating the institutions of motherhood, gender, and stepfamily life. From a three year study of stepmothers, specifically participant observation at non-denominational Christian ministry seminars and content analysis of related ministry resources for stepmothers, I find that religious ministries act as a therapeutic community that marry religious sentiments with secular therapeutic culture to assist women as they navigate their identities in the complexities of stepfamily life. In doing so, the ministry constructs a therapeutic tool-kit that encourages stepmothers to engage in three interrelated aspects of emotion work – self work, (re)marriage work, and (step)family work. This emotion work typology is useful for understanding stepmothers’ experiences, but also in unpacking how gendered emotion work in family life is socially constructed by contemporary religious institutions. Emotion work is simultaneously empowering for stepmothers and reinforcing of gender inequalities in society, especially those related to motherhood and gender discrepancies in the performance of emotional labor.

Author

• Melissa D. Day, University of New Hampshire