Conceptualising motherhood in twentieth century South Africa

This article attempts to move the debate around the political significance of motherhood beyond the two dominant themes in the literature, that of ‘collusion with patriarchy’ and ‘difference’ in black and white women's constructions of motherhood. The first privileges political discourse over an examination of women's own practice and social identity as mothers, while the second ignores historical evidence for overlapping meanings and common cultural influences among black and white women in the twentieth century. Motherhood cannot be reduced simply to a role imposed on women by men. While the proponents of ‘difference’ recognise this, they tend to apply this insight to black women only and to assume that black and white women have operated within quite separate and pure cultural domains. A more useful analysis of the significance of motherhood requires greater definitional complexity and more attention to history, which this article begins to do. While the values of peace and nurturing associated with motherhood may be historically and culturally specific, this does not negate their appeal to South African women and hence their political relevance.