Reference no: EM133996157

Question

Current conversations concerning child care situate the mother as a worker within the labour force. However, this image of the working mother often comes into conflict with the ways in which the mother is most often perceived as the primary caregiver. While there has been a shift in focus to conversations that consider the father as a partner in caretaking and more broadly that caretaking responsibilities are part and parcel of what it means to exist within a family structure, the mother is still considered the responsible parent. Dependence on the mother-both within the labour market and the home-becomes an exhausting proposition. Feminists often refer to this as the double day-women work all day and then take on the demands of the household (cooking, cleaning, laundry, kids) once they are finished with their workday. Most often, conversations turn to how mothers are able to manage all these tasks, but never is there any mention of how partners need to share responsibilities. Canella (1997) explains that understanding the mother as being the sole responsible parent positions her within a dominant discourse, of "proper mothering" (p. 72). This dominant understanding of what is right and proper for a mother is further perpetuated through psychological research. Canella explains: Power, privilege, surveillance, and difference: The critique highlights how these theories can perpetuate power imbalances, privilege certain groups, and normalize certain behaviors and developmental trajectories. In response to these concerns, some educators and researchers advocate for more inclusive, culturally sensitive, and individualized approaches to understanding and supporting child development.