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Abstract

Motherhood in India has been understood primarily by placing mothers in the domestic space. A mother is constructed as a protector and the complete caregiver of her children. But there have been significant changes in the status of Indian women recently. In the 21st century, with suitable qualifications and employment opportunities, women have the choice to be economically independent and career-driven, which has a profound impact on their roles and responsibilities as protectors and caregivers in the home. It is essential to study and document how women in this generation have started to redefine their roles and negotiate what a mother's duties are at home. This study aims to make a systematic inquiry to understand the issues and challenges faced by employed mothers in everyday life and how they balance their career and childcare activities. Researchers investigate this through a qualitative study on mothers employed in different types of professions in the city of Kolkata. Data was collected by conducting in-depth interviews of around twenty-nine urban, upper-middle class employed mothers from different professional backgrounds to have a set of diverse narratives about their experiences and struggles. The key findings of this study provide an insight into the challenges that mothers face and their balancing mechanisms. Such studies have the scope to motivate many employed mothers by presenting some cases of women who have succeeded in breaking the stereotypical ideas of motherhood and are redefining their stories in more humane terms.

Author Biography

Sanjukta Bhaumik is currently pursuing her PhD in Sociology at Christ University, Bangalore. Her research focuses on the different aspects of contemporary motherhood. She is also teaching as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore. Email: sanjukta.bhaumik@res.christuniversity.in

Dr. Sudhansubala Sahu is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Christ University, Bangalore. Her research focuses on the portrayal of women in popular Indian media. During the course of her M. Phil and PhD, she has published and shared her work in multiple renowned journals, conferences, and seminars. She has been awarded with the prestigious ‘Professor M.N. Srinivas Memorial Prize’ for publishing the best sociological paper in 2019. She is also a life member of Indian Sociological Society. Email: sudhansubala.sahu@christuniversity.in

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