Variation in Attitudes toward Being a Mother by Race/Ethnicity and Education among Women in the United States

Do differences in experiences of motherhood (e.g., number of children, age at first child, and relationship type) by race/ethnicity and social class mean that attitudes toward motherhood also vary by social location? We examine attitudes toward being a mother among black, Hispanic, Asian, and white women of higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES, as measured by education). Results using the National Survey of Fertility Barriers ( N = 4,796) indicate that, despite fertility differences, attitudes toward being a mother differ little between groups. White and Asian women have higher positive attitudes toward being a mother than black and Hispanic women. Only black women appear to distinguish between having and raising children; surprisingly, lower educated Hispanic women are less likely to think that they would be a mother, see motherhood as fulfilling, and think that it is important to have and to raise children compared with higher educated, white women.

Japanese Perceptions of Motherhood

Differences in Japanese attitudes toward motherhood were investigated using Hare-Mustin and Broderick's (1979) Motherhood Inventory (MI), administered to 157 male and 85 female university students and 72 mothers. Factor analyses revealed distinctive profiles for each group. Male students believed that motherhood was appropriate and natural for women and were content to let women operate independently within this role. Mothers emphasized that women's greatest fulfillment was associated with mothering. Female university students recognized the importance of and the hard work involved in mothering, but were less likely to perceive it as the primary source of women's fulfillment. Comparisons of group means on MI items revealed that university women held the least conventional views. Further research is needed to determine whether their attitudes about female gender roles reflect a general trend within this cohort of women or transitory responses related to stage in the life cycle.