Synopses & Reviews
"Excellent...appreciating the diversity of women and recognizing that there is no single path to good mothering are the liberating messages of this book". -- Heather B. Cattell, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Honolulu, Hawaii
Imagine yourself at a job with no training, description, compensation, support, or chance of promotion. How long can anyone be happy in such a post? This is the current status of stay-at-home mothers around the world who find themselves crippled by the "Mother Crisis" -- a paradox that invades the very essence of their self-image.
Motherhood at the Crossroads examines enduring myths of motherhood and how they conflict with reality. Ms. Villani and Ms. Ryan, experts in the cultural changes of motherhood and family, insightfully point out how women's expectations of themselves as mothers often don't match their performance, thereby causing intense feelings of shame and guilt. Through two decades of personal in-depth interviews with hundreds of mothers from across the United States, the authors depict the Mother Crisis as a condition killing women's spirits. This surprisingly frank work tells their stories so that many others can better understand the conflicts they experience themselves. An honest, unabashed look at a phenomenon that can and should be abated, Motherhood at the Crossroads is must-read material for social workers, family therapists, clinical psychologists, and anyone who is or may become a parent.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-244) and index.