Embodying Motherhood: Perspectives from Contemporary India by Anu Aneja and Shubhangi Vaidya (published by Sage in 2016) is another ground-breaking text that brings to the limelight how ideologies of motherhood have been shaped, drawing on lived experiences and subjectivities of motherhood. Motherhood has always been a contested and convoluted experience comprising multiple layers of emotions, perceptions, and experiences shaped by patriarchal ideologies and constructs which impede and dictate maternal subjectivities and lived experience. Since time immemorial, mothers have held a glorified and idolized position within the Indian tradition, positioned as compassionate and endearing entities circumscribed by patriarchy (Ghosh, 2016). Women’s identity and status are often inextricably linked to their role as mothers. 

This book is a rich and layered text that critically analyses motherhood in its myriad forms by using a feminist framework to ‘re-vision the embodiment of maternal as symbolic and experiential’ (Aneja & Vaidya, 2016, p.xv). The book is divided into seven chapters and an introduction. These chapters analyze the ideologies of motherhood from various perspectives like religious iconography, cinema and consumer culture, disability, etc. The authors’ lived experiences as mothers and their academic affiliations and interdisciplinary locations provide a fresh and in-depth lens to analyze the same. 

The first chapter uses psychoanalytic and feminist frameworks to explore how religious iconography and text shape woman and mother ideologies, often at odds with the lived realities of women. The author maps the historical trajectory of goddess worship and iconography and compares the mythical to the real and states, ‘if the only mother-goddess to escape patriarchal infringement is a discursive goddess, then it is work on language which is the key needed to open doors to liberating subjectivities; it is in and through a work on speech and language that women can re-cast the feminine and the maternal’ (Aneja & Vaidya, 2016, p.30). 

The second and third chapters discuss maternal subjectivity in the context of literature, cinema, and psychoanalysis. The chapters provided a rich understanding of how a mother is imagined, dreamt of, and understood and how they play out in cinematic or literary representations. Films that reimagine the maternal through alternative representations are also discussed. 

The next chapter shifts the focus to the everyday experience of women who are mothers of children on the autism spectrum. Shubhangi Vaidya’s extensive research, combined with her lived experiences as a caregiver, provides rich insights into the experiential and emotional dimensions of motherhood in the context of mothers of autistic children. Like with many of the other chapters in the book, a critique of normative mother-blaming constructs, such as the theory of ‘refrigerator mothers’, is an essential component of this chapter. As the author aptly states, ‘the ‘refrigerator mother’ demonized by (male) experts thus became the perfect target of blame for a child’s atypical or abnormal development, as an ‘abnormal’ mother deficient in maternal instinct and caring practices’ (Aneja & Vaidya, 2016, p.113). The chapter is fascinating in understanding how these terms have been challenged over time. The chapter ends with two case studies, leaving the reader with a hopeful note and giving an important message about parents as advocates in such situations. 

The fifth chapter discusses the commercial surrogacy scenario wherein India has emerged as a global forerunner. The chapter provides a comprehensive account of how contractual motherhood is performed and its complexities regarding maternal subjectivities. These transactions are often between upper caste/class households and lower ones, thereby bringing caste/class hierarchies into the picture. It is significant to understand all these practices in the backdrop of contemporary capitalism and consumerism. The authors also present the provocative idea that the care work performed by nannies and caretakers in urban households may be viewed as a different kind of ‘surrogacy’, where lower-class nannies engage in reproductive labour for upper-class women.  

The next chapter is one of the best chapters of the volume that looks at disabled mothers and how they challenge the norms of motherhood and sexuality. Disabled women have been historically subjected to desexualization and seen as incapable and incompetent of caring for a child or themselves. They are always viewed as entities that require care and unfit to provide it; therefore, disabled mothers are often either invisibilized or ignored. The chapter uses a feminist intersectional framework in a cross-cultural context to highlight these issues and concerns. It also discusses thorny issues pertaining to institutionalization and forced sterilizations of disabled women.  

The book’s final chapter presents a comparative perspective of French feminist literature and Indian feminist literature to explore the potential of critical theory in making sense of the study of motherhood. The book ends on a note wherein the authors yet again remind us of the paramount importance of cultural and context-specific research on the experiences and subjectivities of women. 

Motherhood has been one of the most idealized and glorified forms of labour that women are naturalized to undertake and enjoy. It is interesting to note that the virtue of a mother and the qualities of a mother are so deeply entrenched and essentialized for women that any amount of deviance from the norm is tantamount to treachery. Motherhood is one of the most crucial spaces for understanding the power relations between men and women. The naturalization of mothering instincts renders women especially vulnerable to essentialization and unjust expectations of femininity. “Embodying Motherhood: Perspectives from Contemporary India” by Anu Aneja and Shubhangi Vaidya presents a compelling and rich exploration of motherhood in the Indian context through diverse lenses and feminist frameworks. The book delves into the complex and multifaceted experiences of mothers, challenging traditional patriarchal ideologies and constructs that shape maternal subjectivities. By incorporating their own lived experiences as mothers and drawing from interdisciplinary perspectives, the authors bring a fresh and intimate lens to their analysis of motherhood. The book not only critiques prevailing norms but also advocates for language and cultural work that can liberate women and reshape the understanding of motherhood beyond limiting stereotypes.

While the book’s focus on contemporary India provides valuable insights into the country’s cultural and social context, readers should be mindful of its limited generalizability to other regions or cultural settings. Additionally, some might seek a more balanced discussion that includes diverse perspectives and experiences, such as those of LGBTQ+ families or non-biological motherhood.

Overall, “Embodying Motherhood” serves as an essential resource for scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the intricate realities of motherhood in India. By examining the diverse subjectivities and experiences of mothers, the book encourages readers to rethink and reimagine the institution of motherhood, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of women’s roles and identities in society. It will be a crucial read for scholars from anthropology, gender studies, sociology, family studies, development studies and even public policy enthusiasts. 

References:

Ghosh, B. (2016). The Institution of Motherhood: A Critical Understanding. Motherhood –Demysfificafion and Denouement, 17–29.

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Priyasha Choudhary is a MA in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad.