Advertising motherhood : Image, ideology, and consumption

Abstract

Using five decades of magazine advertisements, I document changes in advertising images of mothers and examine the relationship between the ideology of motherhood presented in the ads and patterns of consumption. In terms of the representation of mothers, three findings stand out. First, the images presented are consistent between magazines in terms of the layout of the ads, the figures presented, the physical attributes of mothers, and suggested maternal roles. Second, the portrayal of motherhood over time is nonlinear and can be divided into distinct phases by decade. These phases highlight an ideological shift in the presentation of motherhood from domestically centered to child-centered expertise. Third, the advertised products presented in each phase vary signflicantly. I link these shifts to shifts in consumption patterns and examine the processes by which intensive mothering emerged as a central focus and force in modern consumer culture.

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