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Cited by 4Gender, Feminism, and MediaPhotography and Visual CultureWork-Family Balance Challenges

Locating the ‘invisible’ mum: exploring maternal selfie practices

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Holmes, Su, Atkins, Bethany·2024·Journal of Gender Studies
DOI 10.1080/09589236.2023.2262938
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Abstract

This article draws on ten semi-structured interviews with mothers about their maternal selfie practices in order to explore how they use and navigate the form in relation to their motherhood identities and experiences. Whilst work on the form is still emerging, we examine the claim that maternal selfies offer space for a uniquely subjective expression/depiction of motherhood. As part of this, we explore how discussions of their selfie practices – and appraisals of the cultural circulation of the maternal selfie – resist and (re)produce discourses on acceptable digital and cultural paradigms of motherhood. The themes which emerged from these data were 1) the maternal selfie as empowerment, 2) authenticity as regulatory discourse and 3) the risks of negative affect. In drawing on work on neoliberal and intensive mothering frames, the article examines how the increasing emphasis (in digital cultures in particular) on displaying the complex realities of motherhood are implicated within the surveillance and self-surveillance of maternal visibility in ways which may (further) delimit the possibilities for maternal self-expression.

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  • Selfies can also be used as a means to negotiate social roles and societal expectations.

    “they can also be used as a means to negotiate social roles and societal expectations (e.g., in the case of motherhood; see Gawro� nska & Sikorska, 2023;Holmes & Atkins, 2023).”

    From Understanding Autobiographical Memory in the Digital Age: The AMEDIA-Model (2024) · cites this paper as Holmes & Atkins, 2023

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Holmes, S., & Atkins, B.
Affiliations
University of East Anglia (GB)
Corresponding author
Holmes, Su
ORCID
Holmes, Su
Venue
Journal of Gender Studies
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2023-09-27
Volume
33
Issue
4
Pages
386-403
ISSN
  • 0958-9236 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-3869
DOI
10.1080/09589236.2023.2262938
OpenAlex
W4387106429
Cited by
4
References
2
Citations by year
2025: 3 · 2024: 1
FWCI
1.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Gender Studies (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Feminism, and Media
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Photography and Visual Culture
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Work-Family Balance Challenges
Keywords
motherhood, maternal identity, self-surveillance, authenticity, intensive mothering, empowerment, negative affect, self-expression, social media

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