Motherhood : Who Needs It?

152) required their reproduction and choosing to be childless was “non-normative” (p. 152). One participant believed that choosing to remain childless would be more readily accepted by those that did not intimately know him and viewed more negatively by those closest to him (p. 151). I feel this is a very apt assessment of society’s views on childlessness; it is easy to justify the projection of one’s personal beliefs onto someone that we closely know as opposed to a stranger. However, I also believe it depends on the projecting person’s ideas about social norms. I know several single and married couples that have decided to either delay childbearing or refrain altogether and I find no fault in their decision. I do not necessarily believe that it is imperative a person and/or couple have children. Nevertheless, I believe the subject belongs in the “Spouses-Only Area” (Hammond, Cheney, & Pearsey, 2015), and is not one I should pass judgment on. People should be allowed to make a decision that best suits them and not judged or pressured to fit some preconceived mold or

1.) Overall main topic of this book connects between the issue of motherhood and feminism. One major key point I found while reading this book is the author, Amber Kinser explains the growth and progress of the role of mothers in the american society meaning how the roles have changed overtime. A major theme of Kinser’s book is that the public debates may focus on mothering, but the issues affect us all.  Cutting back on health care for women, on education, and on jobs for teachers, social workers and others in the service sector have their greatest impact on mothers, but they affect all of us. Motherhood becomes a symbol for how men and women, single and married, gay and straight, deal with the need for individual options and the need to act for the good of others.

“With what price we pay for the glory of motherhood” (Isadora Duncan). In Defense of Single Motherhood, by Katie Roiphe, is an essay arguing why being a single mother is better than the traditional two parent method. Although Rophie has a moderate expression of ethos, her poor use of logos, and her struggle with pathos concludes this is a weak argument.

There is an ongoing argument about the funding of Planned Parenthood in the United States. There are many reasons that some people do not want to fund it. One of those reasons is because Planned Parenthood offers abortions to women. There are people who believe that these operations should be shut down to rid our country of abortions. However, Planned Parenthood offers much more than just abortions in their clinics. Planned Parenthood should be funded because of the examinations and resources they provide, the education they give, and because it is a low income health center.

In the last days of the Obama administration there was a rule passed that effectively secured that state and local governments would not withhold federal funding for family planning services. This includes contraception, sexually transmitted infections, fertility, pregnancy care, and breast and cervical cancer no matter if they perform abortions. This has been reversed by President Trump. Trump has signed legislation to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood and other groups that perform abortion. This was a move defended by conservatives that have demanded to impose curbs on reproductive rights. “Trump has showed ambivalence about planned parenthood, voicing support for its health- related services other than abortion, and his daughter

In this paper I will evaluate two artworks that share the same theme of “motherhood and breastfeeding.” In the last few years, the sexualization of breastfeeding has become a big issue. This is due to people see breast as sexual objects and think that women are being exhibitionist, and are doing it just to flaunt their breasts in public. Breastfeeding mothers are faced with the public criticism as they struggle to breastfeed their child, although it is the most natural and healthy method of feeding. The first artwork is by Mary Cassatt and is titled Mother Rose Nursing her Child. This painting was created in the 1900s and it depicts a woman breastfeeding her child. The second piece is a contemporary portrait created by Catherine Opie titled Self-Portrait Nursing. The portrait depicts a modern mother also nursing her child. When comparing both of these pieces of art I plan to focus on the beauty of motherhood and the bond between mother and child. In this paper I will discuss the social issue of mother’s being criticized for breastfeeding in public. Now more than ever women’s breasts are being overly sexualized when they are not a sexual organ, but in fact a part of their body used to feed another human being.

I resonated with the idea that there are societal ideals at play in the expectation that couples should have babies. This strong social narrative is imbedded with values such as a “selflessness” that could come from being a parent. The video entitled Just the two of us: Childless by choice provides us with the perspective that some individuals do not feel this is the only way to be selfless. Another value in our culture is the narrative of all the joys of being a mother. While this could be very real, this narrative can bring disappointment to many mothers. The article by the Huffing post entitled Why Childfree Couples Have It All notes that “when a social role like motherhood is difficult, romantic myths need to surround it to keep it in

Today, in western industrialized nations, the decision whether or not to have children is, as Berk (2004) describes it a “….matter of individual choice” (p.460). This contrasts with many non western nations where what Michaels (1988, cited in Berk, 2004) describes childbearing as, “…an unavoidable cultural demand” (p.460).

Whatever the circumstance that initiates parenthood, there is one constant variable - there is a new person in this world needing care. The most qualified people for the job are the parents. True, there are no manuals, but each of us has the basic tools needed to become effective parents.

Maya Angelou said, “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow” (Wanderlust 1). The relationship a mother has with her child transcends all other relationships in complexity. Maternity largely contributes to the female identity in part because the ability to sexually reproduce is uniquely female. With this ability often comes an unparalleled feeling of responsibility. That is, mothers experience an inherent desire to protect their children from the world and guide them through life. Serving as a child’s protector then transforms a woman’s perspective, or the female gaze. While these protective instincts often arise naturally, they are also reinforced by the ideas society’s perpetuates about motherhood. Globally, women are expected to assume the roles of wives and mothers. The belief that motherhood is somewhat of a requirement assists in the subjugation of women and reinforces a plethora of gendered stereotypes. While some women enjoy the process of childrearing, others feel that having a family comes at an irreparable cost: losing sight of oneself. In response to the polarized views surrounding maternity, several authors have employed different writing techniques to illustrate the mother-child dynamic. Through the examination of three narratives, spanning fiction and non-fiction, one is able to better define maternity and the corresponding female gaze in both symbolic and universal terms.

A total of 18 University of California, Los Angeles undergraduate students from a research methods class were used to fulfill a course requirement. The gender breakdown was comprised of 15 self-identified females, 2 males, and 1 gender queer. The mean age was an average of 20 with an age range from 18 years to 22 years.

While the time pressures imposed on mothers in Both Hands Tied also have cultural origins, they are not the result of a culture carefully and intentionally crafted company culture—they are the result of widespread social inequities and cultural misreadings. Poor women in America are disproportionally employed in the low wage service sector. Employees in this sector are subject to low wages, unpredictable shifts, a lack of leave and benefits, mandatory overtime, and other harsh working conditions. Unlike the employees at Amerco who work long hours to get ahead, or for social gratification, these workers often work long hours so they can make enough money to feed and care for themselves and their families. In the case of the single

Societal perceptions of motherhood in North America have changed drastically over the last century and continue to change. Due to prescribed traditional gender roles, the concept of motherhood has historically been latent in the concept womanhood, in that a woman’s ability to reproduce was seen to be an inherent part of her identity. Thus there existed societal pressures not only for women to become mothers, but to fit into the impossible standard of being the “perfect mother”. However, as the feminist movement gained more ground and women were increasingly incorporated into the workforce, these traditional views of gender roles and in turn motherhood were challenged. As the family dynamics that exist today are much more diverse, what

"Voluntary motherhood implies a new morality—a vigorous, constructive, liberated morality. That morality will, first of all, prevent the submergence of womanhood into motherhood. It will set its face against the conversion of women into mechanical maternity and toward the creation of a new race." (Sanger, Woman and the New Race)

Many different aspects of life characterize motherhood. Traditions along with society influence the role of motherhood. Carol Stacks' "All our Kin," is an essay about the "structuring of kin groups" (1974, p.47). In the society, if the mother is not mature enough to raise the child, a close female relative takes on the role of the mother; whereas, the man has the option of choosing to claim the child and take on the responsibilities of fatherhood or he can imply that the father could be anyone, which is a socially acceptable reason. Ruth Horowitz' "The Expanded Family and Family Honor," portrays a Mexican Family as a "nuclear family unit" within an "expanded family" (1983, p.64). After marriage, motherhood is an expected