Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions of Modern Motherhood

Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions of Modern Motherhood
ISBN-10
1926452712
ISBN-13
9781926452715
Category
Social Science
Pages
344
Language
English
Published
2014-12-01
Publisher
Demeter Press
Author
Linda Rose Ennis

Description

To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Sharon Hays’ landmark book, The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood, this collection will revisit Hays’ concept of “intensive mothering” as a continuing, yet controversial representation of modern motherhood. In Hays’ original work, she spoke of “intensive mothering” as primarily being conducted by mothers, centered on children’s needs with methods informed by experts, which are labourintensive and costly simply because children are entitled to this maternal investment. While respecting the important need for connection between mother and baby that is prevalent in the teachings of Attachment Theory, this collection raises into question whether an over-investment of mothers in their children’s lives is as effective a mode of parenting, as being conveyed by representations of modern motherhood. In a world where independence is encouraged, why are we still engaging in “intensive motherhood?”

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