"Shadow Mothers" shines new light on an aspect of contemporary motherhood often hidden from view: the need for paid childcare by women returning to the workforce, and the complex bonds mothers forge with the 'shadow mothers' they hire. Cameron Lynne Macdonald illuminates both sides of an unequal and complicated relationship. Based on in-depth interviews with professional women and childcare providers - immigrant and American-born nannies as well as European au pairs - "Shadow Mothers" locates the roots of individual skirmishes between mothers and their childcare providers in broader cultural and social tensions. Macdonald argues that these conflicts arise from unrealistic ideals about mothering and inflexible career paths and work schedules, as well as from the devaluation of paid care work.

About the Author
Cameron Lynne Macdonald is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Reviews
"Offers surprising and layered insights into the ... modern mommy phenomenon played out every day from coast to coast." Boston Globe "Sparks important insights for mother-employers and their employees... And along the way, it offers society and individuals a way to create positive mother-childcare worker relationships." Foreword "An interesting read... [Macdonald's] findings are thought-provoking" -- Kate Burns Law Society Journal "MacDonald does an excellent job of carrying her reader through the daily lives of mother employers and nannies through using specific interviews to capture the points she strives to make." Journal of Youth Adolescence



Book Information
ISBN 9780520222328
Author Cameron Lynne Macdonald
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 499g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 23mm