'How has motherhood been socially constructed and experienced across the twentieth century?'

It is widely known that motherhood is viewed as the middle purpose to a woman's life. It is her destiny and through that she becomes mature and it is the supreme accomplishment in her entirely life. Women who choose not to have children are regarded as selfish and also, abortion is described as emotionally and psychologically injurious to women. There are also women who are childless with no choice and in the society they are …

…must maintain a set of tensions - ' a balance of conflicting emotions, attitudes , experiences or state of mind.' *Whitelegg, E. (ed) The Changing Experience of Women, Blackwell, pp.239-51. *Hammer, J. (1993) 'Working and Reproduction' in Richardson .D *Tong, R. (1989) 'Radical feminism on reproduction and mothering' *Hilary M.Lips 'A New Psychology of Women. Gender, Culture and Ethnicity.' *Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska 'Women in twentieth-century Britain' *Lectures of the course , week 4 'Motherhood:Institution and Experience'