Sociology Report: Examining the Role of Mothers in Modern Society

This sociology report, titled "Should Mums Have Wings?" investigates the multifaceted roles of mothers in contemporary society, examining the intersection of gender expectations, societal pressures, and the challenges faced by working women. The report explores the historical context of motherhood, contrasting traditional roles with modern realities, and analyzes the impact of economic factors, cultural influences, and technological advancements on the lives of mothers. Through personal observations, interviews, and secondary research, including analysis of ABS statistics and library resources, the report delves into the struggles of urban motherhood, the balance between career and family, and the concept of cross-cultural experiences. It examines the expectations placed on women, the conflicts they face, and the impact of these dynamics on their identity at micro, meso, and macro levels. The report highlights the significance of motherhood, the influence of mothers on their children, and the evolution of gender roles in the context of family, work, and societal norms.

Running Head: SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS 0
SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS
SOCIOLOGY
[DATE]
[Company name]
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SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 1
“DO REALLY MUMS HAVE WINGS?”
Ge
nder and its expectationTION

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 2
INTRODUCTION
Most of women now a days are working as well as doing housework while taking care of new-
born baby. My personal interest project is to investigate on topic to find out the reason, opinions
behind it. Gender reflects the social role in the society. The biggest issue for working women
should be to manage the time around the clock both at home and office. “Do really mum have
wings” what does it mean – in simply words as I want to know what power that make them to get
through all the challenges. I also have planned to study the correlation between the gender and
expectation.
I have chosen this topic because of two incident happens as I have observed according to the
expenses are very high which are literally even more difficult to afford for an individual. Due to
economic status of countries such as USA, Australia, UK, Canada etc. have made families
problematic to live under one wage. Women faced inequity issue in gender role ‘’ the incident
was happened in Australia when the Australian men went to the war where women have replaced
them and get paid unequal” that how the society was formed at that time. According to tradition
and culture in past time they weren’t allowed to get education, jobs etc. in some countries if they
are educated and doing jobs after their marriage sometimes, they don’t allow to continue their
jobs. Nowadays it is not like what it was before. I have seen many moms caring their baby along
with them and playing great role at workplace. I want to find out the struggles of urban
motherhood filled with toddlers, tantrums, careers, and identity crises.
The childcare service is available, so which helps but it effect the growth of their child (because
they miss moments which every mom want to have with their children) by scarify all of those
things achieve the person’s identity at micro, mesa, and macro levels of the society. Most of
times they need to scarify their own care understanding the value of person. Some of them are

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 3
from overseas settled down in different countries and culture adopting different environment
leading to attain the concept of cross culture. The influence of mom with their children is
specified as the socio relationship in between them. Culture is the first aspect that everybody get
from their parents in which mother is the one who contribute much to impart culture to you.
My target audience will be the women from 20- 60 as I can also get old experience from some
mother who already get suffered from it. I will use several research methods to get quantitative
and qualitative information. Questionaries’ is the easiest way to get more information by
dividing into different group as in my case I will try to divide according to their cultures, may I
will find many different thoughts. My target responder expected to cover minimum 100 samples.
I have seen some scenario in Australia they had migrated here and have done big struggle and
much more observation. In interview I will try to interview people on streets just a quick talk and
I will manage to do some structured interviews in which I will ask more in details. Secondary
resource, there is whole bunch of series of working women based on mothers and which had
motivated more to me to do this topic. I had found out more information on internet websites of
universities which have uploaded their articles and researches and furthermore.

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 4
LOG
I found during doing my pip the society have encourage me therefore some factors such as the
questionaries’ which was responded below the expected. Finding out the quality information was
challenging and keep encouraging me. Initially the observation and personal experience I have
habit of following the real case studied by the Indian police(crime patrol) in which I have seen
the change in culture and how the conflicts occurring through the community.
However, after further more I went to my sister house casual and I have seen her all the juggling
with conflicts and pushing them as well as playing very successful role of mother. She has two
children 12, 14 upon that it was surprising she have given birth one more in March. I had visited
her home and interviewed her which helped me in pip and keep encouraged throughout the
course of pip. My main focus in interview was only “how she has done all this?” even she
migrated here recently and she was trying settle down.
For secondary research I have visit to burwood library, where I found that there are various range
of different services related to the families and children which in the community, parenting,
events and other information related to their activities done throughout the year. It also deals
with the health care services of the child, deals with the disabled children and all the other
information relating the children such as their education, care by the parents along with it the out
of home care services. Here I saw that many families, parents along with their children were
coming to discuss their problems regarding the parenting styles, motherhood etc.
There again I had a talk with a lady who had come up with her two kids, about the ways she
used for working and settling down their roles, how she manages the house and the entire family
and looked after her kids. This conversation with the lady was also a very useful one and had
encouraged enough my course of pip. This lady was a single mother as her husband had died

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 5
recently leaving 2 infants and the lady alone, at that time when they did not even had any source
for managing themselves. Elder kid was 8 years old and the younger one was 5 years old only, at
that time the lady was to manage her income by working as a maid at the people’s house and
earn a living for herself and the kids.
There was lot to learn in this project, it’s a very interesting one, which has developed my social
interaction as well as the knowledge and has taught me many different ways which are very
correct to behave with others as I have come across many social contexts in this while of
working on this topic.

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 6
CHAPTER 2
Mums history and their gender roles
In history, the role of women was varied and it's changed over time. The expectation of women
by society to get married and raise their children. Due to lack of education in the past, the global
situation of women was oblivious of their power and independence. It’s surprising to think that
years ago women weren't working outside the home however, In WW1 and WW2 women
become in power to work while the man was in the war. The ability and knowledge lead them to
get occupation but still, they were facing the unequal pay rate whereas the change wasn’t
accepted at micro, macro level. Due to the different position at a different time it shows us how
society has been changed and the expectation. The expectation is the behaviour of the human
being according to their gender if the person is behaving differently will be unacceptable unless
the conformity with them. According to ABS (Australian Bureau of statistics) “mothers spent
over one hour more per day than fathers looking after their children” which indicate that the
women were expected to organized and balanced their time. Mother terrace was a good scenario
who ended up by helping and caring for poor people. She had created her unique identity at
micro level (who lives with her), mesa (nationally) and now globally (macro level).
Motherhood is very responsible and full of duties character in the family. Most of the Mothers in
50s and 60s do housekeeping, caring, cooking, managing socioeconomic, laundry, teaching, and
resolving conflict. The mother is the one who builds the character and identity of their children
because the growth of child took 18-20 year, they are the one who motives them in their fails.
Nowadays, the most valuable part of motherhood is technology. However, in the past there was
no availability of technology which means there wasn’t any distraction like some mother have
now from there cell phones etc. which also show us that the more concentration is on the growth

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 7
of the child. Housekeeping as the mother has to clean up the all the mess – dirty diapers, vomit,
etc. Caring is a responsible role which combines all with some other duties. In a situation like if
the child suffering from the disease like fever or something else you have to check the fever time
to time and follow the instruction given by doctor or specialist, provide the child enough rest and
recommended medicines so your baby can get rid of it. Cooking is also an important factor it
could influence the child growth physical. Mum must have knowledge of providing the proper
diet and breastfeeding. Managing finance was balancing the cost of the groceries, spending,
schooling and other household expenses. In the past time, most of the family have on a wage
which was enough good to run the family. Teaching is everything come from the behaviour and
daily activities of the mum1. How to build a relationship, what is right and wrong, solving the
problem and how to interact with others, etc. Resolving conflict – children usually have conflict
when they start interacting with others (friends, siblings, relative, etc.) the skill pass on them
from mum how to resolve the problem and control the situation will last the lifetime2. Women
have been taken as more traditionally, helpmate and mother. We have an identity in our society
about child growth is totally dependent on the mother. “When in some families the women try to
engage with other activities rather than motherhood like become working and men engaged with
other rather than financial provider like staying at home, society tent to react negatively.”
In some big issues of family’s women are expected to leave their work, being patience, and
sensitive which consider more feminine. If you being working outside in some individuals’ eyes
you are bad feminist, self-fish, yes, you are procreating women roles (some will praise you) but
also if mums stay at home, they all have to do watch their kids all the day. If they apply for job
perhaps employer except mums in low ability and unable to offer the opportunity.
1 Rob Barnes, Teaching Art to Young Children (Routledge 2015) 3rd ed. 186
2 Emma Smith & Emma Belton, Child Abuse review, (2015) 24 (4), Strengthening the Mother- Child Relationships
Following Domestic Abuse:Service Evaluation,261-273

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 8
Urban v Rural Experience Arguments over the effects of the regeneration and reforming on
lives of the women resumes to propellant debate among historians of women. In a growing and
complicated society, the action of generalizing fail to satisfy: some women got success, enjoyed
education by leading humanist scholars such as Erasmus, and wielded power on behalf of
dynastic lines3. For example the wife of the urban craftsmen possessed a helping hand in
domestic production and local marketing of goods, and helped to manage artisanal workshops,
whereas, the women living in the city chooses their own profession, mostly in the healing arts,
getting assisted for giving birth to a child, and retail establishments, especially those catering of
food. But most income-earning women were seen as servants in the houses, customarily for a
decade before "maid" had become synonymous with "wife" in a marriage, and this has developed
a lot in the recent times4.
In the past for being a good mother, she was being expected to devote her whole life to the
family, her love, care and support was very important for the children and also for holding back
the family together, but in the current society there are many problems raised in the role of the
mother, as the traditional beliefs and values are tested here, because many moms plays even a
bigger role in the life of the child as earlier due to their status of being a single parent. They are
not just needed to provide the child her love, care and support but also need to earn sufficient to
fulfil the needs of the family. This has become an extreme difficult role for the mother as she
need to take the position of a male also on whom the child may rely on for its other needs and in
that way a child gets a male role model even in absence of a father. If the role of the mother like
3 Matt D. Ampleman, Andres Martinez, Janne DeWall. Dorothea F.K. Rawn, Keri C. Hornbuckle & Peter S.
Thorne, ‘American Chemical Society’ (2015)49 (2), Inhalation and Dietary Exposure to PCBs in Urban and
Rural Cohorts via Congener-Specific Measurements 1156-1164
4 Annick De Houwer and Marc H. Bornstein ‘Bilingual mothers’ (2016) 7 (37) Language choice in child- directed
speech: continuity and change Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 680-693

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 9
providing the child with all the basic habits and morals needed are not taken care of seriously,
then it may raise dangerous problems for the child’s life, it may not develop into its complete
potentials.
For finding themselves a mother and her child needs and aims to sharpen their contents. Every
culture prescribes certain characteristics which are to be followed and which are to be ignored,
but the nurture, love, care, affection and protection of the child is same across the world, while
the other standards and values may vary from one culture to another setting. Ac child is needed
to be trained properly and his socialization must be in such a way that each new generation
acquires the attitude, beliefs and behaviour in accordance to the society and all these can only be
accomplished by a mother who is playing her role in a very healthy manner. Therefore it can be
said that a mother plays the most essential role in the life of the child as well as a best role model
for them.
A working mother is a mentor, an advocate, as well as the best role model for her child who can
provide her child with highest level of education, proper respect in the community, can solve all
their problems very easily and is always ready to take a stand and fight for them to any in the
society.
Mothers role in the society is very sensitive and an emotional one, biologically mother is a social
female offspring parent. She is the one who plays an important role in the social life of the child.
So she must be loved, cared and respected. Mother is highly a respected social body, therefore
there can hardly be any society or the community which could say that a mother is just a human
being who is made to deliver children or sit and cook at home, however there are some people

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 10
who thinks like this but in general, every culture has valued the position of the mother along with
this it is a very well-known fact that the children are inseparably connected to their children5.
5 Harry McGurk, Issues in Childhood Social Development (Routledge, 2017) 288

SHOULD MUMS HAVE WINGS? 11
CHAPTECR 2
The equal pay rate for the women is still ongoing and the gap is closing. In some situations, mum
wants to work and housekeeping while their partners want to help them but they want to continue
and perhaps in last they find the stress overwhelming. Not only will the mum but there be always
someone behind them to support. In questionaries’ I have found 93.7% of mum support by the
family, friends and relative. The 47.1% of mum use the childcare which indicate that if they are
earning only to pay the children and their own expenses.
They are satisfied and they also want to keep progress in their career.
In some of families, where mothers-in-law of women live with them, they help working mum to
manage whole house. Mother-in-law of that women will help her in cooking, laundry and also in
cleaning the house. She will take care of baby while working mom is in office. Working mum
doesn’t need to worry about groceries and house necessities like detergent or soap, milk etc.
because she has her mother in law to take care of house as well. If working mum is in nuclear
family there her husband will share the responsibilities of child-rearing and household duties
help working moms in their quest for work-life balance. It also helps build a stronger, more equal
marriage and a deeper understanding of each other roles. It helps working moms become better