Digital Commons Network^™

"I Love My Children... But I Hate Being A Mom" : Exploring Narratives Of Maternal Ambivalence In Anonymous, Digital Spaces, Christine M. Lacy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore narratives of maternal ambivalence displayed on an anonymous, digital discussion forum. This investigation based on an analysis of 341 written discussion posts shared on a message thread of a public website, which became an anonymous platform for mothers expressing negative feelings about mothering. This central questions of this study focus on how mothers' described their maternal ambivalence, what factors impact their ambivalence, whether they discuss guilt, shame, and social stigma associated with maternal ambivalence, and what participants reported gaining from their use of the site. The findings of this study suggest …