The first decade of the 21th century has witnessed growing controversies over practices of mothering. On the one hand, the heated debates around abortion, infertility and IVF treatment have reflected the persistent patriarchal construction of motherhood and family well embedded within Polish political discourse. On the other hand, the efforts to counteract dominant discourses and discriminating policies (e.g. the emergence of grass-roots initiatives and organizations dealing with motherhood / parenthood such as Birth In a Dignified Way Foundation or MaMa Foundation) demonstrate growing female agency and consequently potential for social change.
Significantly, these new trends and the effects of social transformation seem to be have limited influence on the academic discourse on motherhood. The concept of the Polish Mother which has been continuously used (and abused) in various cultural analyses of the Polish context, still awaits critical analysis. It serves both as a basis for the hegemonic narrative on motherhood in Poland, and as a role model for contemporary women. We believe that it needs to be deconstructed. Therefore, the aim of the book is to answer the following question: shall we say farewell to the Polish Mother?
The edited volume is to present the critical analyses of “old” and “new” practices, discourses and representations of motherhood in the interdisciplinary perspective. The texts are based on the outcomes of original research projects conducted by leading Polish scholars, and personal experience of activists and women working in NGOs. Thus, it can be used in various contexts, e.g. in academic teaching, journalism, professional training and policy-making.