How educated mothers in Singapore conceptualize motherhood.

• Main Author: Koh, Ashley Yong Kha.
• Other Authors: Teo You Yenn
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48275
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

There are increasing numbers of women entering the workforce. However, childcare and domestic chores are still seen as the responsibility of the mother. As a result, most mothers find themselves caught in a double bind of having to meet the demands of both family and work. This research aims to explore how educated mothers construct their identity in the face of conflicting demands from work and family. Through in-depth interviews with twenty educated mothers, my research will find out more about how middle class, educated mothers handle the work life conflict – the strategies and practices they employ, and the factors that affect them. My findings show that the seemingly homogenous group of women has differing mothering ideologies which resulted in different mothering decisions. These ideologies are not shaped independently, but are influenced by external factors.