conceptual models
All of sophie’s concepts have been developed from her ‘Fish-Tank’ of Motherhood Model™
The Care/career conundrum™
The circle of ‘care’ represents what we can think about as care-work and ‘mothering’. Attached to the role of being a Mother is the expectation of selflessness, always putting children and others’ needs above their own. To be a ‘good Mother’, we are asked to always put ‘care’ before ‘careers’.
The circle of ‘career’ represents what we can think about as waged labour, paid work, our careers - as ‘work’. To be ‘good workers’ - including good employees, good business owners, and to build a ‘successful’ career, we are driven by individualism, neoliberalism and capitalism to place priority on ‘work’ over ‘care’.
Mothers are ‘caught’ in the middle. Creating a conundrum - where we are being ‘pulled’ in opposing directions. We can never step fully into one circle, because we’ll be seen as abandoning the other. How we navigate this conundrum is not simply a ‘choice’ we make, but is influenced by lots of factors related to socioeconomic location, support networks, access to resources and more.
‘Intensive mothering ideology’ was developed and coined by Sharon Hays, with scholars such as Prof Andrea O’Reilly and Linda Rose Ennis expanding on and further contextualising the concept.
The Good mother bad mother binary™
This model provides a way to talk about the ways Mothers are judged, categorised and placed into boxes that represent ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
The categories of ‘Good Mother’ and ‘Bad Mother’ are just those - categories. They are not absolutes or reflective of actual Mothers. All Mothers will fall into both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ categories (created by the rules of patriarchal Motherhood). In one context one Mother will be deemed ‘bad’, and in another context she will be deemed ‘good’. What category she is placed in depends on criteria that extends beyond how she Mothers her children, but also has to do with socioeconomic and identity-related factors.
The idealized ‘Good Mother’ who represents the perfect mother myth is on a pedestal that rests on the foundation of the ‘Bad Mother’. Part of defining who the ‘Good Mother’ is, comes through defining who she is not.
Guidance for use of these concepts
What is okay: sharing the concept graphics, unaltered, and/or excerpts I have provided on this webpage through a non-commercial blog post or on social media for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to Sophie and inclusion of her website and/or social media handle.
What isn’t okay: sharing the concepts, graphics, and/or excerpts for commercial use such as within a course program, book, e-book, or social media post that is promoting your or someone else’s products and/or services.
If you work with Mothers and would like to learn more about these models and concepts in order to integrate them into your work, join the waitlist or latest round of The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification.
I share this work publicly because I want to see change created for Mothers and the breaking down of patriarchal Motherhood in our society and culture. Accessibility of access is important to me, and this is the intention behind the sharing of my content through my website, mailing list, social media, and podcast.
Taking Mothers and practitioners on a learning journey through understanding these concepts more deeply, integrating them, and implementing them is the work I do in my paid programs and mentoring.
Dr Sophie Brock Pty Ltd owns the copyright to all concepts listed on this webpage, specifically The Fish-Tank of Motherhood Model, The Care/Career Conundrum, and The Good Mother/Bad Mother Binary, with all rights reserved.
what is a ‘motherhood studies’ Sociologist?
Motherhood Studies is an area of study coined by Professor Andrea O’Reilly, providing an academic ‘home’ for research and writing on Motherhood, Mothering, and the experience of being a Mother.
Drawing on Motherhood Studies and decades of scholarship in this area, elevates our conversations, understandings, and teachings on Motherhood, and is critical for supporting Mothers themselves.
A Sociologist is a Social Scientist. Imagine a scientist in their science lab, studying a specimen under their microscope. Well a social scientist’s lab is our society. Our ‘specimens’ for study are individuals and groups. Our ‘microscope’ - our tools - are our theories, concepts, and methodologies that we use to help interpret and make meaning from our data.
A Motherhood Studies Sociologist is a social scientist who studies Mothers, Mothering and Motherhood.
I have spent 10 years researching Motherhood and have a PhD in Sociology specialising in Motherhood Studies from The University of Sydney. My passion and focus is in supporting those who work with mothers to develop, integrate, and adapt a sociological understanding of Motherhood into their businesses, careers, and professions.