The next generation of pregnant women: more freedom in the public sphere or just an illusion?

Abstract

This article argues that, withstanding the liberating effects of the women's movement, the contraceptive revolution, the equal opportunities revolution, and the increase in equal access to information – which have all helped to increase women's mobility within society – is a serendipitous form of societal policing of women's actions that may be linked to ongoing patriarchal views. We attempt to explain our analysis by reviewing historical developments, such as women's movement from the private domain of domestic life to the more public domain of work as well as the many changes in the forms of mass media since the 1950s, and by presenting findings from research across generations of pregnant women who shared with us their experiences of being pregnant.

Keywords:

• mass media
• patriarchy
• pregnancy
• pregnant body
• societal policing