Where is the love? How parenting magazines discuss the “mommy wars” and why it matters

Abstract

In June 1990, Newsweek coined the term “mommy wars” to describe the cultural tug-of-war between women who work outside the home and women who stay home to care for children. Historical and contemporary literature on feminism, women in the workplace, women in the home and motherhood, suggest the “mommy wars” are more than just a bitter disagreement between two groups of mothers. This paper argues both working and stay-at-home mothers are frustrated with the antiquated corporate and societal ideals of women and motherhood. A critical discourse analysis method was used to analyze the content of Parents magazine from 1990 to 2006. The sample included 54 articles focusing on working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, the “mommy wars,” or the larger social issues present in each discussion. The sample was analyzed for recurrent themes and discussion of the social issues regarding each theme. Of the 54 articles analyzed, four were found to directly address the “mommy wars,” and no recurrent themes were present. Three prevalent themes were found regarding discussion of working mothers, and four themes were present in discussion of stay-at-home mothers. Discussion of social and corporate issues was largely absent.