Mothers' business, work/life and the politics of ‘mumpreneurship’

Abstract

Heralded by some as ‘the new feminism’, the new, internationally widespread phenomenon of ‘the mumpreneur’ represents a hotly contested and contestable subject identity. This article explores the debate, arguing that its themes drive to the heart of current issues regarding changing working practices, locations and gender identities in affluent societies. The analyses of women entrepreneurs' views presented here (n = 330) reveal that practitioners are sharply polarised on ‘the mumpreneur’. This article explores these views and progresses research agendas by asking whether such information and communication technology-enabled transformations in working practices (embodied in the figure of the ‘mumpreneur’) have the potential to deliver greater choice for mothers' labour, or whether, conversely, they re-enable iniquitous gender role expectations and arrangements within families.

Asunto de mamá, trabajo/vida y la política del “mamprendimiento”

Proclamado por algunos como “el nuevo feminismo”, el nuevo, internacionalmente expandido fenómeno de la “mamprendedora” representa una identidad de sujeto fuertemente debatida y disputable. Este artículo explora el debate, sosteniendo que sus temas llevan al corazón de los actuales problemas en relación a las cambiantes prácticas, lugares e identidades de género relacionados con el trabajo en las sociedades más pudientes. El análisis de las miradas de las mujeres emprendedoras presentadas aquí (n = 330), revela que las practicantes están fuertemente polarizadas respecto de la “mamprendedora”. Este artículo analiza estas miradas y adelanta agendas de investigación al preguntar si tales transformaciones posibilitadas por las TIC en las prácticas de trabajo (corporizadas en la figura de la “mamprendedora”) tienen el potencial de ofrecer más elecciones para el trabajo de las madres o si, por el contrario, re-establecen expectativas y arreglos de roles de género injustas dentro de las familias.

母亲的职业、工作／生活与舠母亲企业家舡的政治

在国际间传播的新兴现象“母亲企业家”，被部分人誉为“新兴的女性主义”，代表着高度竞争且具有争议性的主体认同。本文探讨此一争论，主张其中的主题直指富裕社会当前所面临的有关转变中的工作实践、地点与性别认同之议题。本文分析女性创业者的观点（样本为三百三十人），揭露执业者对“母亲企业家”呈现出尖锐的两极观点。本文探讨这些观点，并透过下列方式推进研究议程：探问此类由信息通信科技（ICT）所促成的工作实践转变（体现于“母亲企业家”的角色中），是否具备潜能为母亲的劳动提供更多选择，抑或相反地再次促成家庭中不公平的性别角色期待与安排。

Keywords::

• mumpreneur
• motherhood
• gender
• work
• entrepreneurship
• family

Palabras claves::

• Mamprendedora
• maternidad
• género
• trabajo
• iniciativa empresarial
• familia

关键词:::

• 母亲企业家
• 母性
• 性别
• 工作
• 创业精神
• 家庭

Acknowledgements

The author would like to offer her thanks to her research participants, Jenny Sjoholm, Karenjit Clare and Simon Leonard for their comments on an earlier draft of this article and to the helpful advice received from three anonymous referees and the editor of this journal. All are very much appreciated.

Notes

^1. For example http://www.mumpreneuruk.com.

^2. House of Commons Briefing Document, October 2012, http://www.fsb.org.uk/policy/images/fsbwestminster01%2012%20(3).pdf

^3. Discussion fora 1–8:

• http://socialable.co.uk – website of UK-based Mumpreneur-of-the-Year award winner Lilach Bulloch – (Social-media marketing coach and speaker). Lilach posted a blog (21 November 2011) – extolling the virtues of the label – 27 comments resulted (DF1). http://www.socialable.co.uk/mumpreneur-is-offically-recognised -and-entered-in-the-dictionary/

• http://whosethemummy.co.uk – website of UK-based Journalist, Social-media marketing adviser and Blogger Sally Whittle. Posted blog (05 October 2009) arguing that the label is potentially damaging to business women – 30 responding comments (DF2). http://www.whosethemummy.co.uk/Why-don't-fathers-get-called-Dadpreneurs-html

• Blog from ‘Musical Minis’ Founder Karen Sherr – three responses (DF3). http://www.learningmadefun/2011/06/what's-your-view-on-the-term-mumpreneur.html (page no longer available online)

• http://Littlesheep-learning.co.uk. Blog from Founder Elaine – four responses (DF4). http://www.littlesheep-learning.co.uk/blog/2011/mumpreneur/

• http://Mumpreneursonline.com. Australia-based Fiona Lewis, business founder and author. Her post attempts to define the term – 11 responses (DF5). http://www.mumpreneursonline.com/mumpreneurs/the-definition-of-a-mumpreneur

• http://Thebusinessbakery.com – the website of Australia-based Julie Bickerstaff – four responses (DF6). http://thebusinessbakery.com.au/_blog/The_Daily_Juice/post/That_Mumpreneur_word/

• Forbes.com – US-based Internet business news – online discussion following article (04 October 2011) by Forbes staff Meghan Casserly – ‘Mompreneur: Own it, ignore it or prove it wrong’ – an impartial post with 14 resulting comments (DF7). http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/10/04/mompreneur-own-it-ignore-it-or-prove-it-wrong/

• http://Muminthemadhouse.com – website of UK-based business founder Jen Walshaw, freelance project manager, writer and blogger. Her blog (6 June 2011) is about how much she hates the mumpreneur label – 51 responses, mostly agreeing with her (DF8). http://www.muminthemadhouse.com/2011/06/06/mumpreneur-why-would-you-call-yourself-that/

^4. See, for example, http://www.mumpreneuruk.com/celebrate/mumpreneur-awards

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carol Ekinsmyth

Carol Ekinsmyth is a Principal Lecturer in the Geography Department at the University of Portsmouth. Her interests lie in the relationship between economic practice and social relations (specifically, at present, gender relations), at the level of the individual practitioner and their everyday lived experiences. Her work in economic geography has focused on various practices of self-employment, and her most recent empirical research has investigated the phenomena of small-scale entrepreneurship carried out (and started up) within the context of motherhood, family life and home/neighbourhood space (mumpreneurship).