Making modern mothers

Description

What does motherhood mean today? Drawing on interviews with new mothers and intergenerational chains of women in the same family, this exciting and timely book documents the transition to motherhood over generations and time. Exploring, amongst other things, the trend to later motherhood and the experience of teenage pregnancy, a compelling picture emerges. Becoming a mother is not only a profound moment of identity change but also a site of socio-economic difference that shapes women's lives.

Rachel Thomson is Professor of Social Research at The Open University, UK. Mary Jane Kehily is senior lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies at The Open University, Lucy Hadfield is a postgraduate research student at The Open University. Sue Sharpe is a freelance researcher and writer.

"A beautifully written narrative woven together with great skill by the authors , which respects women's stories whilst illuminating them by the judicious use of feminist theory. " Valerie Hey, University of Sussex. "A stunning achievement - the most comprehensive account of mothering currently available. Essential reading for anyone interested in the lived experience while also offering a robust intellectual framework. This book reworks thinking on identity, gender and generation in highly creative new ways. " Professor Margaret Wetherell, Director of the ESRC Identities and Social Action Programme. "This is a timely and fascinating sociological study of motherhood in contemporary Britain. Drawing on a rich and diverse body of ethnographic data, it makes a singular contribution to a new generation of scholarly research on motherhood, and will impact on wider public and policy debates about the longstanding and new challenges faced by mothers today." Imogen Tyler, Lancaster University