Motherhood Studies

In 2009, Jodie Patterson, mother of five and beauty entrepreneur, has her world turned upside-down when her determined toddler, Penelope, reveals, "Mama, I’m not a girl. I am a boy." The Pattersons are a tribe of unapologetic Black matriarchs, scholars, financiers, Southern activists, artists, musicians, and disruptors, but with Penelope’s revelation, Jodie realizes her existing definition of family isn’t wide enough for her child’s needs. In The Bold World, we witness Patterson learning how to meet the needs of her transgender son.

Heike Kleen hält Gleichberechtigung für essenziell, sich selbst aber nicht gerade für eine Vorzeigefeministin. Sie fragt sich: Wieso stecke ich in der Teilzeitfalle? Wieso lächle ich auch dann, wenn mir nicht danach zumute ist? Und wieso rate ich meinem Sohn "Hau zurück!", nachdem der sich hat vermöbeln lassen, obwohl ich toxische Männlichkeit ablehne? Wie Heike Kleen geht es vielen: Der Wille zum Feminismus ist da, wenn da nur nicht - neben der strukturellen Benachteiligung - die Fallstricke des Alltags wären. Was tun?

Joyful. Graceful. Blessed. Strong. Anxious. Depressed. Stigmatized. Stereotyped. What happens when motherhood isn’t what you expected—and when you reach out for support, you are met with judgment and prejudice? Sandra Igwe shares her journey as a young Black mother, coping with sleepless nights, anxiety, and loneliness after the birth of her first daughter. Burdened by cultural expectations of the “good mother” and the “strong Black woman” trope, her mental health struggles became an uphill battle.

Versorgerin, Businesswoman, Mom I’d Like to Fuck - Mütter sollen alles sein und dabei bitte glücklich. Egal, ob es um Arbeit, Geld, Sex, Körper, Psyche oder Liebe geht: Stereotype, Klischees und gesellschaftlichen Druck gibt es überall, auf Instagram, im Bett und im Büro. Dass unter diesem Druck das Wohlbefinden von Müttern leidet, ist kein Wunder. Mareice Kaiser schreibt poetisch und politisch, faktenreich und persönlich, modern und mutig über Mutterschaft und zeigt, wo Mütter heute stehen: noch immer öfter am Herd als in Entscheidungspositionen. Und, wo sie stehen sollten: dort, wo sie selbst sich sehen, frei und selbstbestimmt.

Written with a blend of wit, snark, and raw intimacy, Belabored is an impassioned and irreverent defense of the autonomy, rights, and dignity of pregnant people.

The notion of “housewife” evokes strong reactions. For some, it’s nostalgia for a bygone era, simpler and better times when men were breadwinners and women remained home with the kids. For others, it’s a sexist, oppressive stereotype of women’s work. Either way, housewife is a long outdated concept—or is it?

Claudia Garcia crossed the border because her toddler, Natalia, could not hear. Leaving behind everything she knew in Mexico, Claudia recounts the terror of migrating alone with her toddler and the incredible challenges she faced advocating for her daughter’s health in the United States. When she arrived in Texas, Claudia discovered that being undocumented would mean more than just an immigration status—it would be a way of living, of mothering, and of being discarded by even those institutions we count on to care.

This program is read by the author. “Haunting, wild, and quiet at once. A shimmering look at motherhood, in all its gothic pain and glory. I could not stop reading.” —Lisa Taddeo, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Three Women A stressed family, an unplanned pregnancy, and a painful...

Turns out that The Bitch In the House was only half the story. Daniel Jones, husband of Cathi Hanauer, has rallied the men for the "literary equivalent of The Full Monty," in which a group of thoughtful, passionate, and often hilarious men lay it bare when it comes to their wives and girlfriends, their hopes and fears.

In this 10th anniversary edition, renowned political commentator Cokie Roberts once again examines the nature of women's roles. From mother to mechanic, sister to soldier, Roberts reveals how much progress has now been made and how much further we have to go. Updated and expanded to include a diverse new cast of women, including Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Billie Jean King, and others, this collection of essays offers tremendous insight into the opportunities and challenges that women encounter today.

Based on the belief that there's more to women's lives than just getting a date, Gilman's stories tell of struggling to get a life and a clue, and engaging in some spectacularly demented behavior along the way. At turns heartbreaking, insightful, and screamingly funny, it uniquely chronicles a generation and heralds a talented writer of note.

It is a love letter of sorts. And while there are some who might beg to differ, you'd have to know the author to know that that was true. Daisy Tatous. "The Petals of Rose" is a poignant exploration of the intricate and often tumultuous relationships between mothers and daughters. Through the compelling narrative of Rose Tatous, listeners are immersed in a multi-generational saga that weaves together the lives of women across time.

It’s time to change the conversation—about work, life, and “balance.” Work and life are inextricably, intimately intertwined. We need to celebrate what we do give our children—even and especially in moments of imbalance—rather than apologizing for what we don’t. In this way, we can model for our children how we use our talents to help others and raise awareness about the issues closest to our hearts.

Women in today's advanced capitalist societies are encouraged to "lean in." The media and government champion women's empowerment. In a cultural climate where women can seemingly have it all, why do so many successful professional women - lawyers, financial managers, teachers, engineers, and others - give up their careers after having children and become stay-at-home mothers? How do they feel about their decision and what do their stories tell us about contemporary society?

Sweet, supportive, dependable, selfless. Long before she had children of her own, journalist Carrie Mullins knew how mothers should behave. But how? Where did these expectations come from—and, more importantly, are they serving the mothers whose lives they shape? Carrie's suspicion, later crystallized while raising two small children, was that our culture’s idealization of motherhood was not only painfully limiting but harmful, leaving women to cope with impossible standards—standards rarely created by mothers themselves.

Find solace and strength through prayer. No matter how far our culture has come, we will never be able to shed the idea that women are primarily responsible for parenting their children. This obligation leaves women and mothers exhausted and burdened. Society urges them not to worry about their mothering job, while offering no tangible advice or measures customized to a mother's individual circumstances and requirements.

Though approximately one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, it remains a rarely talked about, under-researched, and largely misunderstood area of women's health. This profoundly necessary book - the first comprehensive portrait of the psychological, emotional, medical, and cultural aspects of miscarriage - aims to help break that silence. With candor, warmth, and empathy, psychotherapist Julia Bueno blends women's stories (including her own) with research and analysis, exploring the effect of pregnancy loss on women.

When Christine Armstrong became a mother, it never occurred to her that she would want to stop work or even work part-time. But the truth is, combining work and small kids is hard. From the broken breast pumps on business trips, to hiding chicken pox from the nursery, to the heartbreak when you come home and realise your baby smells of the childminder. When Christine Armstrong tried it, she found herself desolate with misery. Determined to make it work, she looked for answers by interviewing other working mums and found that she wasn't alone.

More than a decade after the New York Times best-selling anthology The Bitch in the House spoke up loud and clear for a generation of young women, nine of the original contributors are back - along with 16 captivating new voices - sharing their ruminations from an older, stronger, and wiser perspective about love, sex, work, family, independence, body image, health, and aging: the critical flash points of women's lives today.

With insight and compassion, Pamela Stone shows convincingly that, far from representing a return to tradition, the decision of some women to relinquish high-powered careers is a reluctant and conflict-ridden response to the growing mismatch between privatized families and time-demanding jobs.