Blogging Through Motherhood: Free Labor, Femininity, and the (Re)Production of Maternity

Author

Kara Mary Van Cleaf, Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

6-2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Sociology

Advisor

Patricia T. Clough

Subject Categories

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Sociology | Women's Studies

Keywords

Digital, Everyday life, Labor, Motherhood, Technology

Abstract

Drawing from a thematic analysis of 47 North American mommy blogs over a 2-year period, I situate the genre in critical discussions of feminism, media, and labor, exploring both the technological and cultural shifts that turn mothers into cultural producers and that turn the experience of motherhood into a commodity. I situate the content of such blogs, or what gets said therein, within theories of media, gender, and labor. Examining the blogs within and against such academic discussions allows me to develop an intersectional analysis of feminism, media, and labor studies.

Recommended Citation

Van Cleaf, Kara Mary, "Blogging Through Motherhood: Free Labor, Femininity, and the (Re)Production of Maternity" (2014). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/298