Interview: Constructing (and resisting) the 'good parenting' mandate

Peach, Donna; Locke, Abigail

Abstract

Donna Peach in conversation with Dr Abigail Locke, who presented a keynote on ‘Constructing (and resisting) the ‘good parenting’ mandate’ at the POWS Annual Conference, July 2014.

We were delighted to have Abi deliver her keynote, which interrogated aspects of contemporary parenting. Firstly, Abi explored the discursive constructions of parenting, highlighting the difficulties in resisting dominant discourses of mothering and fathering. The complexity for parents was illuminated in representations of good parenting advice, present in parenting books and media reports. Abi then moved her lens onto the messages from research, undertaken by herself and others, which critically examine constructs of motherhood and, more recently, stay at home dads. A further theme explored by Abi was the use of social media platforms such as ‘mumsnet’ and ‘netmums’. This interview further explores Abi’s views of the ability of these forums to extend and constrain contemporary constructions of parenting.

Citation

Peach, D., & Locke, A. (2015). Interview: Constructing (and resisting) the 'good parenting' mandate. Psychology of Women Section Review, 17(1), https://doi.org/10.53841/bpspow.2015.17.1.31

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2015
• Deposit Date: Sep 4, 2023
• Journal: BPS Psychology of Women Section Review
• Print ISSN: 1466-3724
• Publisher: The British Psychological Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 1
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.53841/bpspow.2015.17.1.31