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The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood
The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood Author:Sharon Hays A concept of "intensive mothering" exacerbates the inevitable tensions working mothers face, claims sociologist Sharon Hays. While women are expected to be nurturing and unselfish in their role as mothers, they are expected to be competitive and even ruthless at work. Drawing on ideas about mothering since the Middle Ages, on contemporary childr... more »earing manuals, and on in-depth interviews, Hays shows that "intensive mothering" is a twentieth-century concept. Unrealistic expectations of mothers, she suggests, reflect a deep cultural ambivalence about the pursuit of self-interest.« less