Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (JMI - York University)
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The Dark Heart of Motherhood in Italy : Maternal Ambivalence in Contemporary Italian Film
No full textIn a country where the maternal instinct is still considered a conditio sine qua non of being a woman, maternal ambivalence is one of the ultimate taboos. But Italian filmmakers are trying to change that. Four recent Italian films—Lo spazio bianco by Francesca Comencini (2009), Maternity Blues by Fabrizio Cattani (2011), Quando la notte by Cristina Comencini (2011), and Tutto parla di te by Alina Marazzi (2012)—use everything from single motherhood and postpartum depression to infanticide as a lens through which to approach this “unspeakable” topic. This article demonstrates how the archetype of the loving, self-sacrificing mother that lies at the heart of the Italian identity is also the source of its twenty-first-century motherhood crisis and that Italian women’s ambivalence about motherhood is paralleled by a national one: a deeply rooted contradiction between private worship and public lack of support
"Force Fields" of Motherhood and Maternal Empowerment: An Indigenous Mother in Canada Engages the Narratives of African Caribbean Mothers in Barbados
Get PDFIsabel is a grandmother from a northern Cree community in Saskatchewan. As she copes with temporarily losing custody of her young grandson, she engages with the stories of two mothers from the eastern Caribbean, one who lives a similar life to hers and one from over two hundred years ago. This article presents that narrative engagement and argues that it constitutes a force field of maternal affinity that allows Isabel to recollect her own grandmother’s strength and perseverance. This kind of maternal affinity—extending across geographical distance, cultural divides, and historical periods—can be a source for maternal empowerment in three ways. First, it establishes a motherline that is significant in times of distress. Second, it gives rise to redemptive narratives that help mothers living with HIV and addiction navigate and mitigate the intruding forces of marginalization and disruption. Third, it creates a sense of longevity and safety that can be a much needed reprieve from the oppressive surveillance and scrutiny that Indigenous mothers in Canada face
