Workshop
At the Heart of it All
Concepts of Motherhood in the 20th Century USA
Motherhood has been a strongly contested concept and cause for heated debates in the US throughout the 20th century. Starting with the concept of Republican motherhood in the decades after the War of Independence, mothers have always been considered of great importance to the well-being of the nation. This notion has served as a vital argument to strengthen women's rights, but has also proven to be a heavy burden. Blaming American mothers of different class and racial background for the country's ills, starting from poverty, to violence and immorality, has been a reoccurring theme in the discourse on the fate of the nation.
The workshop aims to refocus the changing concepts of motherhood in the course of the 20th century in the light of recent research. Special emphasize will be put on the long-term mental and social changes in American society that were motivated or exemplified by the diverging concepts of motherhood, especially regarding minority women. Of equal importance are the implications of the race and class divide as well as the transformations of gender roles and family values in a broader sense. The research workshop will bring together young German and international scholars with accomplished specialists in the field and thereby serve as a starting point for future academic exchange in this field.
Zeit: 15. - 17. 07.2010
Raum: Johannisstr. 1-4, J116
Wichtige Adressen - Allgemein
- ZIV- Zentrum für Informationsverarbeitung
- Lageplan der Uni
- QISPOS/HISLSF
- ULB - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek
- Fachbereich Geschichte/Philosophie
