ABSTRACT
This final chapter will draw out key themes from each contributing chapter, including theoretical similarities and differences, and discuss the benefits of discerning intersections that shape the constructions and experiences of mothers in diverse contexts. It will take a social justice approach that advocates for social change. The chapter highlights that mothering occurs within diverse situations of social inequalities, including violence in the private and public realm and discrimination in the context of heteronormative, racist, sexist and classed societies. It posits that women’s personal experiences are positioned within political and policy contexts that function to socially discriminate against women who are mothering in difficult circumstances and diverse contexts. It will draw conclusions about areas for further consideration, by highlighting diverse scholarship on conceptualisations of mothers, mothering and motherhoods, and responses to it, by different disciplines and in different countries.
