Mothers of today : expectations, coping mechanisms and struggles of motherhood

• Main Author: Zalifa Ithnin
• Other Authors: Laavanya Kathiravelu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Social sciences::Sociology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/78715
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The purpose of this research paper is to explore and analyse the varying coping mechanisms of working mothers and domestic helpers in managing work-life balance and simultaneously challenging the traditional notions of motherhood. Similarly, this paper will also focus on the struggles of motherhood experienced by working mothers and domestic helpers, and how they may vary or coincide. Working mothers and domestic helpers experienced struggles in terms of societal, familial and self-expectation. A common coping mechanism of familial support was observed for both groups in helping manage a work-life balance. Domestic helpers had additional struggles because of the physical separation and hence, had an additional coping mechanism of technology to help them in their mothering process. Working mothers also perceived state policies to be ineffective in helping to cope with the motherhood struggles. This research paper looked at findings from interviews conducted and secondary analyses to explore and explain the differing factors.