Challenges that the Contemporary Ideal of Motherhood Poses for Mothers of Children of an Early and Preschool Age

Cilj ovoga rada je ispitati stavove žena o majĉinstvu. Istraživanje na kojem se temelji rad provedeno je na uzorku od 125 žena u dobi od 24 do 49 godina s podruĉja Istarske županije. U radu je ispitivana povezanost stavova o majĉinstvu sa sljedećim sociodemografskim obilježjima: dob ispitanica, spol djeteta, naselje u kojem žive, radna aktivnost, položaj na radnom mjestu i stupanj obrazovanja. Rezultati pokazuju da žene iskazuju visoko slaganje sa svim tvrdnjama kojima se ispituju stavovi o majĉinstvu. Starije se žene više slažu s tvrdnjom da redovito prate savjete struĉnjaka u medijima od mlaĊih žena. Žene nižeg stupnja obrazovanja više se slažu s tvrdnjom da su radikalno promijenile svoje prioritete otkako su postale majke te da se moraju nešto više angažirati u majĉinstvu, nego što su to morale njihove majke nego žene višeg stupnja obrazovanja. Žene koje imaju dijete ženskog spola više se slažu s tvrdnjom da žrtvuju dosta svoga "ja" da bi bile dobre majke nego žene koje imaju dijete muškog spola. Većina žena koje žive na selu i u manjem gradu smatraju da žrtvuju dosta svoj „ja“ da bi bile dobre majke, za razliku od manjeg dijela žena koje žive u velikom gradu. Žene koje su u radnom odnosu kod poslodavca znaĉajno se manje slažu da se moraju nešto više angažirati u majĉinstvu, nego što je to morala njihova majka u usporedbi s ostalima. Nije dobivena nijedna znaĉajna razlika u slaganju s tvrdnjama o majĉinstvu s obzirom na položaj na radnom mjestu.The aim of this paper is to examine the attitudes of women about motherhood. The research based on the work was carried out on a sample of 125 women aged 24-49 in the area of Istrian County. The paper examines the relationship between motherhood with the following sociodemographic features: the age of the respondent, the sex of the child, the place where they live, the work activity, the position at the workplace and the level of education. The results show that women show high consistency with all the claims that question the motherhood. Older women more agree with the statement that they regularly follow the advice of media professionals from younger women. Women of lower educational level more agree with the claim that they have radically changed their priorities since they became mothers and that they have to be more engaged in motherhood than their mothers had to do than women of higher education. Women who have a female child are more likely to agree to sacrifice enough of their "I" to be good mothers than women who have a male sex child. Most women living in the village and the small town believe they sacrifice their very "I" to be good mothers, as opposed to the smaller part of women who live in the big city. Women who are in employment with the employer are significantly less likely to have to get more engaged in motherhood than their mother had to do compared to others. There was no significant difference in the composition of motherhood claims with regard to workplace position