Mommyblogs and the Changing Face of Motherhood
© 2013
Mothers have consistently relied upon one another for guidance and support as they navigate the difficult world of parenting. For many women, the increasingly established online community of “mommyblogs” now provides a source of camaraderie and support that acknowledges both the work of mothering and the implications of its undertaking. Beyond their capacity to entertain, how have mommyblogs shifted our understanding of twenty-first-century motherhood?
In examining the content of hundreds of mommyblogs, May Friedman considers the ways that online maternal life writing provides a front row seat to some of the most raw, offbeat, and engaging portraits of motherhood imaginable. Focusing on the composition of the “mamasphere” and on mommyblogs’ emphasis on connection, Friedman reveals the changing face of contemporary motherhood – one less concerned with the proscriptions of what good mothers should do, and more invested in what diverse mothers have to say.
Product Details
- World Rights
- Page Count: 200 pages
- Dimensions: 6.0in x 0.0in x 9.0in
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Reviews
‘Informative and readable volume… Mother’s stories interspersed throughout the work help make the world of mommyblogging come alive. The authors’ theoretical reflections add further value – especially for researchers, and for college instructors who teach courses in gender, family, or parenting.’
R. LaRossa
CHOICE Magazine; vol 50:11:2013‘There are too many gems here that are worth your while. The new and, for me, very original concepts are sprinkled around like jewels, and they make reading the book worth your time and trouble.’
‘Mommyblogs is a dream of good scholarship.’
Lolita Lark
Ralph: Review of Art, Literature, Philosophy, and Humanities, number 243: Fall 2013
‘I enjoyed reading Mommyblogs and the Changing Face of Motherhood, a book that makes an important contribution to motherhood studies. May Friedman pays excellent attention to the complexity of bloggers and what they mean for our understanding of contemporary motherhood. I also appreciate how well-versed Friedman is in terms of the theories she uses to analyze mommyblogs.’
D. Lynn O’Brien-Hallstein, College of General Studies, Rhetoric Division, Boston University -
Author Information
May Friedman is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Ryerson University and the author of the award-winning Mommyblogs and the Changing Face of Motherhood. -
Table of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
The Emergence of Networked Communication and the Birth of Blogs
Mommyblogs: The Term
Why Do Mothers Blog?
What Mommyblogs Offer: The Theoretical Frameworks
Limitations of the Genre: The Digital Divide
Authenticity: Do Mommyblogs Tell the Truth?
About This Book
Chapter 2: A Short History of the Mamasphere and the Discursive Construction of Motherhood
How Blogging Happens
Creation of the Mamasphere
How Do We Read Mommyblogs?
Life Writing Theory: The “Self-in-the-Writing”
Chapter 3: On Hybridity: The Diversity and Multiplicity of the Mamasphere
Motherhood from the Margins: The Need for Diverse Motherhood Stories
Transnationalism and Hybridity: Gaza Mom
Mainstream Black motherhood: The Young Mommy Life
Motherhood and Ethnicity: Devis with Babies
Mothering and Power: The Dominatrix Next Door
Anonymity: The Renegade Rebbetzin
Gender and Normativity: Transgender Mom and Unwellness
Contradictory and Convergent Motherhoods: Fannfare and Friday Playdate
Hybridity and Advocacy: Dream Mom and Live from the Wang of America
Interrupting Good Motherhood: Peter’s Cross Station and Any Mommy Out There?
Writing from the Centre: Starbloggers and Hybridity
Why Does Hybridity Matter? What Does Hybridity Offer?
Chapter 4: On the Cyborg: Dialogism, and Collective Stories
The Cyborg Mother Relationality
“Whuffie”: Popular Mommybloggers On Temporality
The Multidimensional Cyborg: The Mamasphere’s Collective Mother
Chapter 5: On Queer: A Liminal and Unfixed Motherhood
History of Queer Theory
Illuminating the Queer Mother
Changing the Subject: Destabilizing Individuality
From “Mother” to “Mothering”
Queering the Kids: Mommyblogging and Privacy
Making the Queer Shift
Chapter 6: Conclusions
Precariousness of the Medium
Monetization and a Changing Voice
Moving Forward
Appendix A: List of blogs selected for primary research
References
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Prizes
WGSRF Outstanding Scholarship Prize awarded by Women's and Gender Studies et Recherches Feministes - Winner in 2015 -
Subjects and Courses
