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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 labour-intensive 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"?
Topics can also include (but are not limited to):
Reconciling early
childhood theory with intensive mothering; the impact of Sharon Hays
work; comparing intensive motherhood today with that of the 90s; motives
behind intensive mothering; independence and dependency;
working/stay-at-home mothers and intensive motherhood; empty nest and
intensive mothering; the mommy track and intensive mothering; intensive
mothering throughout the life-span; fathers and intensive mothering;
economics of intensive motherhood; self-centeredness, perfectionism and
intensive motherhood; ambivalence, guilt and intensive mothering; career
success and intensive mothering; education and intensive mothering; the
role of the school in condoning intensive motherhood; the decline of
the family unit and intensive mothering; the use of technology to
maintain intensive mothering; single mothers and intensive mothering;
immigrant mothers and intensive mothering; grandmothers and intensive
mothering; intensive mothering from a distance; intensive mothering and
medical well-being; depression and intensive mothering; stories about
intensive mothering experiences; intensive motherhood, as portrayed in
literature.
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