Discourses of Motherhood and Consumption Practices of Turkish Mothers

Being primarily responsible of conducting logistical and emotional work of child-rearing, mothers have agency in formation of the child’s future identity, cultural values and dispositions, and serve as role models, sources of social pressure, and interpersonal support. This article aims to discover discourses of motherhood of Turkish mothers, especially educated and middle class, who have children dependent on their consumption decisions and how their discourses figure in their consumption practices of products, such as food and clothing, which they buy on behalf of their children. Discursive and consumption practices of Turkish mothers who are participating in selected virtual communities are analyzed by means of qualitative research methods. Main discourses that can be observed in their told consumption practices appeared to be the “good mothering” and “motherhood as personal achievement”. Backgrounding and absent discourses are also discussed.