“INTENSIVE MOTHERHOOD” - INSIGHTS INTO THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT

Abstract

As intensive motherhood is considered as the most influential contemporaneous maternal model, especially in Western societies, but also in other parts of the world, a succinct exploration of the cultural genealogy of this concept is carried out, with the purpose to shed light on its past and present meanings and effects for women. Navigating through the sets of social values, norms and expectations formed in different stages of the history regarding the role of women, we become more able to assess the current implications of intensive motherhood not only for working women, but also in terms of social and gender relations, focusing our attention both on the strengths and to the possible negative implications of the concept.