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WGST 423: Mothering/Motherhood in the Real World (Rev. 3) Report a Broken Link

This course looks at motherhood and mothering within the context of Western society. Women’s experiences and personal identities as mothers are explored through a number of discrete topics that include the role of theory and popular culture in shaping contemporary mothering practice; issues affecting women’s choices to combine professional careers with mothering; public policies that work to constrain or reinforce mothering practice; the impact of poverty on mothering practice; mental well-being and motherhood; and how others outside the boundaries defining the “good mother” experience motherhood.

Textbook

Ross, L. R. (2016). Interrogating motherhood. AU Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771991438.01 [eBook]

Unit 1: The Sociocultural Study of Motherhood

Schmidt, E.-M., Décieux, F., Zartler, U., & Schnor, C. (2023). What makes a good mother? Two decades of research reflecting social norms of motherhood. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 15(1), 57–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12488
Minnotte, K. L. (2023). Decentering intensive mothering: More fully accounting for race and class in motherhood norms. Sociology Compass, 17(8), e13095. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.13095
Motivation of Mothers. (2024, March 30). The tapestry of motherhood: A portrait of strength and resilience [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DudQdLtXVA0
Donaldson, E. (2023, April 22). Realistic day in the life, mom of 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4gfjV5hqpx4

Unit 2: Motherhood and Media: Narratives in Popular Culture

Kirkpatrick, C. E., & Lee, S. (2024). Idealized motherhood on social media: Effects of mothers’ social comparison orientation and self-esteem on motherhood social comparisons. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 68(2), 284–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2024.2324152
Gibson, C. L. (2019). Enacting motherhood online: How Facebook and mommy blogs reinforce white ideologies of the new momism. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 3(1–2), Article 06. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/5912
Bailey, L. (2022). Constructions of good mothering during lockdown learning. Gender and Education, 34(6), 674–689. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.2011839
Tubbs, A. M. (2021, December). How moms shape the world [Video]. TEDWomen. https://www.ted.com/talks/anna_malaika_tubbs_how_moms_shape_the_world

Unit 3: The Economics of Mothering: Work, Labour, and Government Policy

Bugden, M., McKenzie, H., Hanna, L., & Graham, M. (2025). Australian women’s motherhood aspirations: I’ve always wanted to be a mum. But at the same time, I wanted the career and everything too. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 60(1), 233–250. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.336
Jilani, M. M. A. K. (2025). Between care and career: Discursive positioning of motherhood in using Q-methodology. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 11(3), 100600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100600
Brumley, K. M., & St. George, M. E. (2025). Behind the scenes: Gendered household labor schemas of managers and helpers. Community, Work & Family, 28(4), 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2023.2236290
Sumpter, D. (2018, October). Don’t underestimate working mothers [Video]. TEDxCSULB. https://www.ted.com/talks/dana_sumpter_don_t_underestimate_working_mothers

Unit 4: Reproductive Justice and the Right to Mother

Idriss-Wheeler, D., El-Mowafi, I. M., Coen-Sanchez, K., Yalahow, A., & Yaya, S. (2021). Looking through the lens of reproductive justice: The need for a paradigm shift in sexual and reproductive health and rights research in Canada. Reproductive Health, 18(1), 129. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01169-w
Cusanno, B. R., & Ketheeswaran, N. (2020). Rhetorics of motherhood, agency, and reproductive injustice in healthcare providers’ narratives. Reflections, 20(2), 219-244. https://doi.org/10.59236/rjv20i2pp219-244
Nisha, Z. (2022). Negotiating “surrogate mothering” and women’s freedom. Asian Bioethics Review, 14(3), 271–285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-022-00205-6
Donath, O. (2015). Regretting motherhood: A sociopolitical analysis. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 40(2), 343–367. https://doi.org/10.1086/678145
Fadiman, D. (Director). (2011). Motherhood by choice, not chance [Film]. Concentric Media. https://www.concentric.org/films/motherhood_by_choice.html
TEDx Talks. (2025, May 9). Fertility should be a right, not a privilege | Rijon Charne | TEDxSan Diego Salon [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qJ0H1kUPvk
Hubbard, T. (Director). (2017). Birth of a family [Film]. National Film Board. https://www.nfb.ca/film/birth_of_a_family

Unit 5: Queer, Trans, and Chosen-Family Parenting

Falck, F. A. O. K., Dhejne, C. M. U., Frisén, L. M. M., & Armuand, G. M. (2024). Subjective experiences of pregnancy, delivery, and nursing in transgender men and non-binary individuals: A qualitative analysis of gender and mental health concerns. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 53(5), 1981–2002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02787-0
Jones, T. (2024). The outlawed nipple: Breastless parents and the desire to conform to normative motherhood. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 14(2), 75–88. https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40694
Jadva, V., Jones, C., Hall, P., Imrie, S., & Golombok, S. (2023). “I know it’s not normal but it’s normal to me, and that’s all that matters”: Experiences of young adults conceived through egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy. Human Reproduction, 38(5), 908–916. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead048
Hannahs, L. B. (2017, April). What it’s like to be a transgender dad [Video]. TEDxUF. https://www.ted.com/talks/lb_hannahs_what_it_s_like_to_be_a_transgender_dad

Unit 6: Mental Health, Disability, and the Neurodivergent Mother

Daw, J. R., MacCallum-Bridges, C. L., & Admon, L. K. (2025). Trends and disparities in maternal self-reported mental and physical health. JAMA Internal Medicine, 185(7), 857–865. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.1260
Pritchard, K. M., & Falci, C. D. (2020). Mental health across motherhood status: An examination of mediating factors. Journal of Family Issues, 41(8), 1083–1111. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X19885160
Wilkinson, K. (2023). Maternal (perinatal) mental health and employment: An agenda for research and practice. Human Resource Management Journal, 33(2), 346–361. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12434
O’Leary, N., George, C. V., ElDirani, Z., Jenks, R., & Kent, G. (2025). “Remember one size doesn’t fit all”: A scoping review of postpartum supports for neurodivergent mothers. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 29(11), 1528–1540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04161-z
Ayers, K. (2019, December). Disabled parenting in an ableist world [Video]. TEDxCincinnatiWomen. https://www.ted.com/talks/kara_ayers_disabled_parenting_in_an_ableist_world
Sy, S. (Reporter). (2025, August 5). Mothers open up about worrying decline in mental health [Television broadcast]. In PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/video/maternal-mental-health-1754419075

Unit 7: The Future of Mothering

Mendoza, E. F. O. (2023). Maternal activism in comparative perspective: Past, present, and future. Sociology Compass, 17(6), e13088. https://doi.org/10.1111/SOC4.13088
Grimbeek, M. (2023). “Say no to life”: Reproductive futurism and antinatalist responses to environmental crisis in contemporary Britain. Journal for the Study of British Cultures,30(2), 175–191. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-102565
Lean, V. (Director). (2022). The climate baby dilemma [Film]. CBC. https://gem.cbc.ca/the-climate-baby-dilemma