Examine the contradictions in the ideologies and experiences of motherhood.

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‘Motherhood is romanticised and idealised as the supreme physical and emotional achievement in woman’s lives…but when women become mothers …they find that everyday tasks of mothering are socially devalued’ (Phoenix, 1991:13). Examine the contradictions in the ideologies and experiences of motherhood.

Motherhood is defined to women by society even if they do not become mothers; it is the way society view women. However, Motherhood is also very important to women over the world. ”For example, in 1994 there were 6.7 million women with children under 16 in the UK: that is, 29 per cent of all women” (Robinson and Richardson, 1997:375).

Majority of women are mothers despite the fact that the number of women who are not mothers has gone up. Conversely, there is a problem of what societies expect women to do and what women do. Although the relationship of motherhood and womanhood seems to be shifting in the contemporary society it still remains complicated and opposing each other. Some women are choosing not to be mother and are therefore, rejecting society’s expectations of them.

 Although the core identity of women is motherhood there are also other factors that are also important to women’s lives and it is not only motherhood so therefore, not all women want to be mothers. In patriarchal society motherhood has a powerful position and it is only given to women so therefore, they are all expected to be mothers and to be good at it. However, some find motherhood difficult and stressful, as it is a challenge and it can be pleasurable at the same time. So being a mother can be empowering for women but at the same time be disempowering for them as it may mean having to be relaying on the state or somebody else to support them as well as affecting their personal life style (Robinson and Richardson, 1997:376)

In the day to day experiences of women as mothers it can be seen that motherhood is like a social institution which includes specific guidelines and duties and motherhood is thought of as powerful but in actual fact this power is restricted as it is patriarchy which rules. However, psychologists argue that mothers have power of their children because of their unique relationship between them and the children but this argument is challenged by patriarchy as it is the power held by the legal system over them by men.

Motherhood is devalued because often when problems occurs in the family with the children they are blamed this is because it is expected of them to be perfect. ‘Mother blaming occurs on a number of levels, from individuals attributions to mothers as the cause of psychological insecurities, to the portrayal of the cold ,rejecting ,neurotic or inadequate mother in popular culture’ (Robinsons and Richardson 1997:377)

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Furthermore in motherhood there is also racism. For example the experiences of white motherhood is different to that of a black mother because of racism. So a black woman would not only suffer from racism but she may also suffer from sexism. Roberts (1995) argues that:  “racism is patriarchal. Patriarchy is racist” and “racism and patriarchy interact in the social constructions of motherhood” (Roger, 1998:308). Moreover, Adrienne Rich describes the experiences of motherhood as the relationships between the mother and child as well as noting that motherhood is a political institution and an identity that is forced upon them. ...

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