MOTHERIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES: THE EXPECTATION OF MOTHERHOOD AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

Thesis (Ph.D.), Political Science, Washington State UniversityMainstream feminist theorists have argued that motherhood is no longer a theoretically important topic. This is simply not true. Women are expected to become mothers and this expectation has important consequences for society at large. This project develops the concept of motherization which is the process by which women are trained and conditioned within a societal context to expect and desire motherhood. Motherization not only controls the population through biopolitics, but also produces women’s bodies as docile bodies. This study examines, through an intersectional approach, the various ways in which the expectation of motherhood occurs within the United States. I examine the ways in which specific aspects of American society are involved with the motherization process. Specifically, I analyze the culture industry, current business practices, and reproductive technologies to demonstrate that certain privileged women are expected to become mothers while underprivileged and minority women are not.Washington State University, Political Scienc