Between care and career: Discursive positioning of motherhood in using Q-methodology

Abstract

This study examines the discursive positioning of motherhood in navigating caregiving responsibilities and professional aspirations, employing Q-methodology to explore how contemporary maternal identities are negotiated within varying social expectations. Through the analysis of Q-sorts from 46 participants, four distinct factors emerged, reflecting divergent maternal perspectives: traditional care-oriented motherhood, privileging full-time caregiving aligned with conventional gender norms; progressive and emotionally dual-role motherhood, endorsing equitable parenting and institutional reform; emotionally attuned negotiating identity and expectation, revealing internal conflict between societal expectations and personal autonomy; and supportive structure for maternal empowerment, which highlights the need for emotional, social, and policy-based supports to enable maternal thriving. These factors illuminate the complex landscape mothers navigate in reconciling cultural ideals with lived realities, highlighting tensions between self-sacrifice and self-actualization. Notably, many participants advocated for systemic change rather than individual compromise, reflecting evolving attitudes toward work-life balance and maternal legitimacy. The findings highlight value of Q-methodology in surfacing nuanced perspectives on motherhood and contribute to broader feminist discourses on identity, care, and institutional accountability. This study calls for inclusive policy frameworks that acknowledge the plural and negotiated nature of motherhood and support diverse maternal trajectories. The study concludes that recognizing the multiplicity of maternal identities is essential for developing equitable social and policy frameworks that reflect the lived realities of modern motherhood.