Motherhood in Socio-cultural Context A Critical Qualitative Study

In intergenerational family relationships, the respect for the role of the mother has always been emphasized in the Iranian-Islamic culture. However, conducting socio-cultural research in Iran with a special focus on the mother roles is one of the research gaps that requires more scientific research. The purpose of this study is to examine the social and cultural concerns of the mother in the familial and social relationships. The method used in the research was the critical qualitative method of Carspecken. Research data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 mothers who had children under the age of two. Findings show such categories as physical / mental exhaustion of mother, child developmental concerns, increasing needs with child growth, mother’s sensitivity due to uncontrollable child, disturbance in housekeeping, gender preference, unstable social status of the mother, etc. were obtained. The results showed mothers' dissatisfaction and disturbance about some social and cultural structures that put pressure on them. Based on the results, there is need to pass laws to facilitate and improve the supportive and emotional contexts for mothers. Also, the existing capability of the Iranian society should be employed more effectively to maintain and promote the status of the mother, as a proud role in the Iranian-Islamic culture of our society.