ABSTRACT
Divided into 15 chapters, this book provides the reader with an insight into certain representations of mothers and motherhood in history and today’s societies in some areas of the world, notably in Britain and Asia.
Key facts about the history of motherhood are presented, together with the use of very recent notions and phrases portraying ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mothers. An analysis of the concepts of naming and blaming, along with regret with respect to mothers in 21st century societies, provides food for thought. Other issues addressed are varied and numerous: the politics of early intervention, feminist critique, mothers with disabilities and mothers of disabled children, incarcerated mothers, surrogate mothers, teenage mothers, lesbian mothers, and mothering in Eastern Asia, namely in China, Japan, and Korea. Interestingly, both visual arts and literature play a crucial role in this analysis.
The publication will appeal to students, academics, researchers, and the general public interested in and seeking to comprehend the shifts that have occurred over time in connection with the vast and inexhaustible subject of motherhood and mothers – a private and public matter. Readers are also provided with a rich reference section dealing with the latest publications on the issues tackled by prominent academics and researchers in human geography, women’s studies, sociology, gender studies, contemporary history, and the arts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter Chapter 2|14 pages
(M)othering and the politics of early intervention
chapter Chapter 3|14 pages
A mother’s place is in the home
part 1|44 pages
Difficult times for mothers
chapter Chapter 4|17 pages
Mother figures behind bars
part 2|28 pages
Unorthodox mothers
chapter Chapter 8|14 pages
Teenage mothers in England
part 3|30 pages
Asian mothering/mothers
part 4|26 pages
Lesbian mothers/mothering
chapter Chapter 11|16 pages
Lesbian mothers and citizens
chapter Chapter 12|10 pages
Lesbian motherhood
part 5|44 pages
Representations of mothers in art