Mutterschaft und Feminismus

Are motherhood and feminism mutually exclusive? An analysis of feminist and gender-theoretical approaches shows that motherhood is consistently thematised as a restriction of emancipation aspirations. The author traces these discourses and develops concepts of feminist motherhood within the framework of a qualitative study. This not only reveals the tensions between motherhood and feminism in the everyday lives of feminist mothers, but also identifies emancipatory strategies in relation to motherhood. These represent scope for shaping and acting, from which mothers* who do not consider themselves feminists can also benefit.