Mothering and childrearing: A critical exploration of mothers’ social concerns about parenting

Childbearing and child-rearing are the fruits of the couple's life together, but in the balance of duties and responsibilities, the mother's burden is unequally heavier than the father. Therefore, sufferings and difficulties of childbearing and parenting are mainly placed on the mother’ shoulders. Cultural contexts are an important and key element in defining the extent and structure of mothers’ duties and responsibilities with regard to their children. However, the challenges, concerns and difficulties of mothers in the field of child-rearing and parenting have been less in the focus of social and cultural research. The aim of this paper is to examine these issues and challenges. The research was conducted using the critical qualitative method of Carspecken and the research data were collected based on in-depth interviews with fifteen mothers who had children under the age of two. Findings showed the tensions/concerns/challenges of parenting, low collaboration of men in parenting, growing expectations of the child, the need for peaceful and loving in the context of family relationships and so on. Based on the results, the difficulties of the mother and her overwhelming concerns about raising a child have multiplied in the face of rapid social and cultural changes of the contemporary period. Therefore, the promotion of social and family support for the role of the mother in the field of parenting, providing welfare and leisure facilities for the mother and providing parenting education through educational institutions and cultural media is emphasized by the results of the present study.