Symbolic violence in motherhood: Experiences, meanings and discourses

Motherhood is a complex cultural phenomenon with socially constructed representations, meanings and symbolism around women. The article proposes to analyze the configurations of symbolic violence in motherhood in women from Lima-Peru. Following a phenomenological design, 13 female university students and first-time mothers were interviewed. After analyzing the interviews, three main categories were identified: Meanings of motherhood; motherhood with disappointment, shame and guilt; and first mother, then woman. The main results indicate that the meanings of woman are related to responsibility and difficulty, due to bodily and social changes. Guilt arises from the expectations and demands of others regarding the maternal condition, which generates emotional conflicts in them; the father figure installs shame and disappointment in interactions with the participants based on gender constructions and stereotypes; Likewise, the participants perceive that motherhood has displaced being a woman, making it difficult to consolidate her identity as such. It is concluded that women perceive motherhood with a sense of guilt due to non-compliance with those actions validated based on stereotypes and hegemonic conceptions about family, society and roles of wife and mother.