Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions of Modern Motherhood

Download or read book Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions of Modern Motherhood written by Linda Rose Ennis and published by Demeter Press. This book was released on 2014-12-01 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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?”