A pleasurable and painful space: beyond maternity and motherhood

Abstract

In order to better understand the complex interrelationship between maternity, society, power, and desire, I propose a new framework for the study of maternity and motherhood: maternal space. "Maternal space" is a trialectical space-based analysis drawn from Soja's Thirdspace. In this thesis it is used in conjunction with a Kristevan understanding of the abject and the Barthesian plaisir/jouissance construct, in order to emphasise the importance of taking pleasure and desire into account. -- Giving the concepts of desire and pleasure primacy allows the researcher to analyse maternal space without relying on arbitrary designations of who has agency and who does not. This thesis outlines a theoretical framework with the potential to analyse maternal practices and beliefs without claims of empowerment, and uses my own fieldwork as a practical application of this approach.