Discourse, Context & Media ( IF 1.858 ) Pub Date : 2020-07-18 , DOI: 10.1016/j.dcm.2020.100417 David Matley
One of the main criteria of being a “good mother” is evaluating motherhood as worthwhile and fulfilling. Yet in recent years there has been increased debate regarding women who regret having had children and who question the utilitarian rhetoric of childbirth and parenting. However, there is as yet little research into such counter-discourses of maternity and femininity in online environments. This study addresses this research gap by examining expressions of maternal regret in the Talk fora of Mumsnet, a UK-based parenting website. Focusing on stance-taking, it examines how women attempt to deal with regret and to create a sense of self between the binaries of good/bad mother discourses. The study contributes to an appreciation of the diversity of experiences of motherhood and the emotions and cognition that accompany them – ranging from mourning for one’s previous life through guilt to acceptance – and highlights how digitally mediated communication functions as an arena in which women can break the taboo of maternal regret.
中文翻译:
“我想念我的前世”:在Mumsnet上怀念母亲
成为“好母亲”的主要标准之一是评估母性是否值得和充实。然而,近年来,关于妇女感到遗憾的是,她们对生孩子感到遗憾,并对生育和养育子女的功利言论提出质疑。但是,对于在线环境中的孕产妇和女性气质的反话语,研究还很少。这项研究通过检查英国育儿网站Mumsnet的Talk论坛中的母亲后悔表达来解决这一研究空白。着眼于立场,它研究了女性如何在善与恶的母亲话语之间试图处理遗憾并建立自我意识。