Do-it-yourself Parenthood or Reflexivity of Modern Parenthood

In a contemporary family, which is described by sociologists as a post-family or a heterogenic post-modern family, the focus is placed on social, economic or political changes. Thus, an extraordinarily important question arises about contemporary parenthood which, paradoxically, is not a unique concept. Fulfilling the role of a parent is an essential piece of life’s cycle, which is affected by many factors, inter alia, the conviction about the importance of a parental role, a degree of identification with the role and content of motivation of family cohabitation, and patterns of child-rearing as well. Taking into consideration the issues raised by A. Giddens, we can wonder if relying on other individual elements of one’s experience such as labor or intimate life will also entail changes in parenthood. The question is in which direction the change goes. Does parenthood slowly become a reflexive project like other parts of our life? What are the symptoms of such a directed change? The article presents selected theoretical threads and the results of the author’s own research.marciniakdorota85@gmail.comUniwersytet Warszawski. Instytut Stosowanych Nauk Społecznych.2413114