MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library



    Introduction: Imagining Motherhood in the Twenty-First Century—Images, Representations, Constructions


    Heffernan, Valerie and Wilgus, Gay (2018) Introduction: Imagining Motherhood in the Twenty-First Century—Images, Representations, Constructions. Women: A Cultural Review, 29 (1). pp. 1-18. ISSN 0957-4042

    [img]
    Preview
    Download (626kB) | Preview


    Share your research

    Twitter Facebook LinkedIn GooglePlus Email more...



    Add this article to your Mendeley library


    Abstract

    This special issue of Women: A Cultural Review explores the diversity of maternal images proffered by various media formats, including cinema, literature and visual art, in the twenty-first century. The editors begin their introduction with an overview of recent research on maternal representation, then introduce the primary thematic concerns that feature in the included articles. They look at how mothers whose mothering experiences do not reflect conventional family models—particularly single mothers, LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer/questioning) mothers and migrant mothers —have been either sidelined by or misrepresented in cultural and media depictions of motherhood, and how these depictions have begun to evolve in recent years. They additionally explore how the idealization of motherhood in mainstream culture casts women who choose not to have children in a negative light. Ultimately, they point to how the images, representations and constructions of motherhood analysed by the various contributors both reflect and contribute to the shaping of contemporary cultural meanings of motherhood.

    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: art; film; literature; motherhood; mothers; popular culture;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Arts,Celtic Studies and Philosophy > School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures > German
    Item ID: 11481
    Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1080/09574042.2018.1442603
    Depositing User: Valerie Heffernan
    Date Deposited: 29 Oct 2019 14:30
    Journal or Publication Title: Women: A Cultural Review
    Publisher: Taylor & Francis
    Refereed: Yes
    URI:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

    Repository Staff Only(login required)

    View Item Item control page

    Downloads

    Downloads per month over past year

    Origin of downloads