Introduction
Introduction
Childcare on Trial
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book which is about the micropolitics of the so-called shadow mothers, nannies or au pairs. This book's close examination of commodified mother-work challenges assumptions concerning the self-sufficiency of the nuclear family and the permeability of the public-private divide. It examines the delegation of mother-work such as conceiving, gestating and bearing children, the creation of family ties or the economic support of children and analyzes the cultural and structural constraints that shape the mother-nanny relationship. It proposes ways for resolving the ideal mother/ideal worker conflict and alternative models of the mother-nanny relationship and avenues for change.
Keywords: shadow mothers, nannies, au pairs, micropolitics, nuclear family, mother-nanny relationships, self-sufficiency
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