Manifestaciones, causas y consecuencias de madres arrepentidas en la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

Motherhood is much more than a biological fact; it is the intense social and cultural experience, on a symbolic level, of giving birth to and raising a child. However, there are women who regret having been mothers. The generic imperative that patriarchy assigns to women as reproducers and the idealization of motherhood in monotheistic cultures has caused many women to feel regret for having been so, as well as guilt for repenting. This research work proposes to analyze why mothers who wish to be mothers regret it once they have been and what consequences this regret has for them. Since this is a taboo subject in the society of Cuenca, we used the case study as a methodological research strategy, interviewing two women who, in spite of having wished to be mothers, regretted it and expressed difficulties in assuming the role assigned to women mothers in the society of Cuenca. This research does not intend to generalize, but to present that there is a regret about being mothers, which was confirmed through the speeches they expressed when they did not feel comfortable with the maternal role, due to the pressure they felt because of the different situations they presented, and the model of motherhood shown by society is difficult to fulfill because of the different demands it requires.