«New» Expressions of Maternity. Mothers with «Successful» Professional Careers

Abstract

The recent massive incorporation of women in paid professional activities in Spain is central to “new” forms of motherhood, which weaken the traditional model of “intensive” motherhood as shown in social practices. But the double condition of mother and worker is not a homogeneous situation. It’s shaped by social class and by race and ethnic hierarchies. The article presents the main results of a research on individual and family strategies and managing of one kind of working mothers: “successful” careers mothers. The research was undertaken in Barcelona Metropolitan Area and examines qualitative empirical data, obtained through the application of focus groups. The results reveal both dilemma and needs of this kind of mothers. Although they share with the rest of working mothers the hyperactive situation of “double presence”, their demanding professional life mean specifics problems, nonextensible to the rest of mothers with a paid professional activity.