Fulltime mothers talk about their lives

Abstract

This qualitative research explores the perspectives of twelve mothers living in the Wellington region. The focus throughout was on women who were mothers of pre-school children and who were, or had recently been, fulltime mothers. All lived with their husbands/partners. Three focus groups were conducted, during which the women discussed their experiences of the work of mothering, and their perceptions of how others responded to their choice of career. Issues explored included the impact of feminist beliefs upon how these women viewed their role as fulltime mothers and their experience of sources of support both inside and outside the home. The research findings have been analysed using data collected from the focus group discussions so that the women's varied experiences of motherhood could be told from their perspective. The results of the study found that, for these women, the role of mother is paradoxical, in that it is given high moral, but low social status. The women were all fulltime mothers by choice [not all were currently in this position], and believed very much in the importance of their role. However, many were also conscious of having to continually defend their choice against the growing social devaluation of their work, which at the same time, was very demanding. Insufficient partner support, particularly with childcare, was another concern for many. The study found that the gap between the public and private spheres contributed significantly to the social and economic invisibility of much of the work performed by these fulltime mothers, and argues for institutional change so that parents may more equally share the tasks of childcare and housework, without career or financial loss.