In this insightful course, Polly Young-Eisendrath unpacks mothering and the ‘institution of motherhood’. Mothering has been a part of the human experience ever since we’ve been on earth. While it was something women did, it wasn’t always something women identified with, and it certainly wasn’t something they were perfecting.
In this context, Polly speaks about hothouse mothering; the archetypes of the Great Mother, Terrible Mother and the Divine child and the famous Rumpelstiltskin fairytale. She helps us ponder on what healthy motherhood could look like. She cautions against trying to achieve perfection in motherhood and the idealization of both mother and child.
Motherhood can be a time of great growth and learning, but also of challenge and difficulty. The course emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between caring for others and taking care of oneself. Many mothers struggle with guilt and self-doubt, but Polly reminds us that it is essential to prioritize self-care in order to be an effective and healthy parent.
Course Overview:
Class 1. History & Introduction
In this class, Polly paints a fascinating historical picture of the institution of motherhood. She takes us through key moments in the 20th century- including the discovery of penicillin, access to birth control, the birth of feminism, the world wars, John Bowlby’s research on attachment– and we see how they have shaped ideas of motherhood in contemporary society.
Class 2. Archetypes & Complexes
In this class, we learn about three important archetypes associated with the mother-child dyad: The Great Mother, The Terrible Mother and The Divine Child. Within the framework of these archetypes, Polly helps us see how mothers can fulfill their individual paths and at the same time allow their children to fulfill their own destinies.
Class 3. The Rumpelstiltskin Fairytale
In this class, Polly uses the Grimms´ fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin to analyze a woman’s longing to create the ‘most amazing’ and ‘incredible’ child through her single-handed dedication. She ends the class with some ideas on how one can cultivate healthy motherhood on a personal level.
Bonus Class: Women’s shopping & Desire
In this class, Polly talks about desire, consumerism, beauty, and choice in regard to women’s development and identities. She introduces the archetype she calls the ‘Hungry Ghost’ and examines stereotypes around what shopping can mean to women.