Motherhood myths and mystiques: How childless women navigate cultural beliefs about motherhood

Objective

This study identifies five common, cultural beliefs that women perceive as encouraging motherhood in the United States and examines how they impact the parenthood decision-making and experiences of currently childless women.

Background

Research shows how cultural ideas about “good” motherhood impact women's lives. We know less about the role of cultural beliefs that encourage motherhood despite its well-known hardships, nor how currently childless women navigate these beliefs.

Method

This study uses 107 interviews with American women ages 35–50 who for varied reasons have not (yet) had children. It identifies five prominent beliefs about motherhood and examines how currently childless women consider and respond to them.

Results

Two beliefs—that motherhood provides fulfillment and that children ensure future security—functioned more as “myths” and were often rejected by interviewees. Three beliefs—that women are “wired” to want children; women are nurturing; and motherhood bestows a unique form of joy —functioned as essentialist “mystiques,” remaining unquestioned or only slightly revised by interviewees. Further, all beliefs, but particularly the “mystiques,” complicated many women's parenthood decision-making processes and experiences of childlessness.

Conclusion

To understand how the institution of motherhood impacts women who have not (yet) had children, it is crucial to account for the role of cultural beliefs that support its appeal. This study highlights the heterogeneous ways that cultural beliefs that encourage motherhood impact women's parenthood decision-making and their experiences of childlessness. It emphasizes, in particular, the durability and universality of essentialist ideas (mystiques) about motherhood.