Becoming the mother of a transgender child: Ethical self-formation and moral moods of mothers in transition

Abstract

Matters of parenting transgender children are ascendant on the cultural landscape. Based on interviews with Israeli mothers of transgender children between the ages of 8–24 I explore how the process of the child's gender affirmation intersects with maternal subjectivities, and how mothers internalize the morally-loaded narratives of good mothering in contemporary Israel. I illustrate that when children undergo gender affirmation, mothers experience their mothering as challenged and transformed. This transformative process can be conceptualized in terms of political becoming and ethical self-formation (Foucault 1997). However, such a conceptualization does not fully encompass the complexity of mothers' daily carework. An anthropological approach, in particular the concept of "moral moods" (Throop 2014), can best capture the spontaneity and ambiguity of mothers' moral lives. This concept can be a valuable theoretical tool to grasp the diffused affective states and moral concerns of those who are constantly subjected to the critical gaze.