Optimism and its Bargains: Cultural Discourses of Motherhood and the Accounts of Mothers with Experiences of Anxiety and/or Depression
type: CreativeWork
description: AIMS: This project is guided by two research aims. One is to contribute to gender studies and studies of family and motherhood by advancing our understanding of cultural discourses of motherhood and of mothers' experiences of them. This is achieved by integrating an analytical framework derived from the works of Lauren Berlant to theorise the ambivalence of maternal discourses and experiences. The other is to contribute to social theory by appraising the applicability of this Berlantian framework for social-scientific work. METHODS: This thesis has three empirical sections. First, I introduce a systematic review of studies about the representation of motherhood in media in any geographical location published after 31 December 2016 ($k=55$). Then, I present a thematic analysis of the new media presence of five brands targeted at UK mothers ($k=110$ YouTube videos, $k=4$ websites, $k=267$ packages, and $k=680$ Instagram posts). Finally, I offer a narrative analysis of interviews with mothers who have experiences of clinical anxiety and/or depression, focused on their expectations and lived experiences of motherhood ($n=15$). This sample was chosen with the goal of exploring some of the challenges of navigating the maternal role and its associated norms and identities. FINDINGS: First, my systematic review of existing literature highlights ambivalence in representations of motherhood, as traditional norms are concurrently challenged and sustained. It also identifies a gap in the literature for theories of that ambivalence. Second, and addressing this gap, my thematic analysis reveals that brand representations position motherhood as an object that can deliver the good life. They simultaneously offer validations and resources to retain optimism when motherhood’s lived experiences become too far removed from the fantasy of that good life. These two mechanisms, when combined, help absorb the difficulties of motherhood in a way that protects its promises of fulfilment. Thi…
abstract: AIMS: This project is guided by two research aims. One is to contribute to gender studies and studies of family and motherhood by advancing our understanding of cultural discourses of motherhood and of mothers' experiences of them. This is achieved by integrating an analytical framework derived from the works of Lauren Berlant to theorise the ambivalence of maternal discourses and experiences. The other is to contribute to social theory by appraising the applicability of this Berlantian framework for social-scientific work. METHODS: This thesis has three empirical sections. First, I introduce a systematic review of studies about the representation of motherhood in media in any geographical location published after 31 December 2016 ($k=55$). Then, I present a thematic analysis of the new media presence of five brands targeted at UK mothers ($k=110$ YouTube videos, $k=4$ websites, $k=267$ packages, and $k=680$ Instagram posts). Finally, I offer a narrative analysis of interviews with mothers who have experiences of clinical anxiety and/or depression, focused on their expectations and lived experiences of motherhood ($n=15$). This sample was chosen with the goal of exploring some of the challenges of navigating the maternal role and its associated norms and identities. FINDINGS: First, my systematic review of existing literature highlights ambivalence in representations of motherhood, as traditional norms are concurrently challenged and sustained. It also identifies a gap in the literature for theories of that ambivalence. Second, and addressing this gap, my thematic analysis reveals that brand representations position motherhood as an object that can deliver the good life. They simultaneously offer validations and resources to retain optimism when motherhood’s lived experiences become too far removed from the fantasy of that good life. These two mechanisms, when combined, help absorb the difficulties of motherhood in a way that protects its promises of fulfilment. Thi…
author: Mary, Sophie
language: eng
keywords: affect, motherhood, mental health, cultural discourses, norms, Lauren Berlant, depression, anxiety, media, gender
license: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/4e06cc1e-467a-4385-b9bd-da303d1414e3/download
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
date published: 2024-10-25
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:23Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.121678