The Motherhood Contract: Mental Load, Moral Risk, and Gendered Care In Contemporary Parenting and Digital Culture

<p>This dissertation examines childcare as a site of gender inequality shaped by cultural norms, structural barriers, and digital discourse. Despite increased awareness of shared parenting ideals, mothers predominantly bear the “mental load.” This study introduces the idea of a motherhood contract: implicit expectations that mothers are responsible for managing children’s needs. Two research questions guide this study. (1) What are parents’ experiences of managing the mental load of caregiving? How do they make sense of these experiences within the gendered and moral expectations shaping family life? (2) How are cultural ideas about childcare and parenting constructed, circulated, and reproduced through parents’ narratives and social media discourse? The research employs qualitative narrative inquiry drawing on feminist theory and the sociology of care to situate individual experiences within broader systems of power. Findings introduce moral risk—the social and internal consequences of failing to meet “good” caregiving standards. The mental load becomes cognitive labor and risk management; parents anticipate needs and absorb accountability to avoid judgment. Although often framed as individual choices, these practices are shaped by cultural and digital norms. Narratives of choice and efficiency reinforce mothers’ responsibility and conceal structural barriers like workplace inflexibility. Career sacrifices appear voluntary even when constrained, rendering caregiving invisible and perpetuating gendered expectations. Ultimately, the dissertation demonstrates that childcare decision-making is culturally mediated, reproducing and legitimizing gender inequality. By connecting cultural discourse, family practices, and online self-surveillance, the research explains how unequal caregiving persists through both external barriers and internalized norms.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching and Learning

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Stallman, Stephanie J

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Blanca Gamez-Djokic
• Dr. Angela Elkordy
• Dr. Rob Morrison

• motherhood
• mental load
• parenting
• moral capital
• cultural capital
• digital culture
• Adult and Continuing Education
• Curriculum and Social Inquiry
• Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/988

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-2059