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This essay will be focusing in on what has occurred in society to have made motherhood change so dramatically over the last century. It will discuss the over-lapping themes of contemporary motherhood- single mothers, working mothers, mothers and leisure, and teenage pregnancies as well as events which have taken place in the past and influenced or changed the role of women and mothers in society.
Over the last century, we have seen a significant change in the role of the mother, from the Victorian values, where the mother should stay at home and look after the children, and any other dependants, as well as believing that a mother’s role is a deeply personal one. ... She showed that throughout the period mothers failed to live up to the standards that idealists expected, and that the assumption that motherhood is a natural instinct is an over-romanticised view of motherhood. ...
Another sociologist, Ann Oakley also found that motherhood came as a shock to most mothers. ...
In her book Inventing Motherhood Ann Dally shows that while mothers have always existed, ‘motherhood’ is a comparatively recent invention. ...
However in today’s society the idealization of motherhood has led to a crisis because the reality of motherhood now is quite different to the ideal, with motherhood as a social institution, rather than an instinct, it is therefore capable of being changed. Examples of the idealistic mother can be seen on the television and advertisements portraying the perfect mother, however they do not fit truthfully, as trying to live up to the ideal mother is difficult, as culture and society provides conflicting ideas.
One idea that is thought to fit the concept of motherhood is the ‘Feminie Mystique’ an idea from Betty Friedan who says that society has made woman a ‘sex creature’. The feminine mystique is thought to be so powerful that women do not realise they have desires and capacities which the mystique forbids, it is believed that many women in society over the years have been force feed to believe that motherhood is their goal in life, but motherhood has still changed, and many women today do not wish to have children so what has coursed it?
Well events dating back in history can be of some explanation, the arrival of the contraceptive pill in the nineteen sixties, for example brought about independence for women, (and still does today) it gave them choices, they could endure sexual activities without the worry of becoming pregnant, it also enabled them to plan their futures, they could decide when they wanted to become pregnant, it gave them the chance to put motherhood on hold, and allow them to further their ambitions.
The Equal Pay Act, the Abortion Reform Act, The Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act as well as Child benefits, have all helped in gaining women independence, and it is this independence which has produced a change in motherhood, all the pieces of legislation acts have shifted our society from a once patriarchal society to a more equal one, however this has led many women to say ‘goodbye to the kids’. ...
In 1997 there were 95,500 conceptions to women under 20 years of age, including 8,300 under the age of 16, and it was only 1 in 10 of these births amongst teenagers that took place within marriage. This shows that not only has a new form of motherhood descended upon us but also that the idealist ‘2.
Approximate Word count = 2861
Approximate Pages = 11.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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