Representations of Motherhood in Popular American Magazines
Faculty Sponsor
Vikas Gumbhir, Gonzaga University
Research Project Abstract
Understanding the importance of mothering ideologies in popular media, this research seeks to examine the mothering ideologies present in three popular women’s magazines and one popular parenting magazine. I perform structured and ethnographic content analysis of four issues of each of the following magazine titles: Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, and Parents.
I examine the prevalence of the “intensive mothering” ideology—thought to be the hegemonic ideal for modern day mothers—in each issue, and analyze the topic of self-care in the lives of mothers. Each selected issue is examined for assumptions regarding mothering norms, messages which normalize self-care and support systems in the life of a mother, and the presence of care activities being performed by or for mothers.
Session Number
RS3
Location
Robinson 229
Abstract Number
RS3-c
Representations of Motherhood in Popular American Magazines
Robinson 229
Understanding the importance of mothering ideologies in popular media, this research seeks to examine the mothering ideologies present in three popular women’s magazines and one popular parenting magazine. I perform structured and ethnographic content analysis of four issues of each of the following magazine titles: Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, and Parents.
I examine the prevalence of the “intensive mothering” ideology—thought to be the hegemonic ideal for modern day mothers—in each issue, and analyze the topic of self-care in the lives of mothers. Each selected issue is examined for assumptions regarding mothering norms, messages which normalize self-care and support systems in the life of a mother, and the presence of care activities being performed by or for mothers.
