Discursive (de/re)constructions of identity and the age/gender interface: from geriatric pregnancies to midlife motherhood
Capitolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2023
Citazione:
Discursive (de/re)constructions of identity and the age/gender interface: from geriatric pregnancies to midlife motherhood / P. Catenaccio (LINGUISTIC INSIGHTS). - In: Age-Specific Issues : Language, Spaces, Technologies / [a cura di] Y. Virpi, K. Grego, A. Vicentini. - Bern : Peter Lang, 2023 Mar 06. - ISBN 978-3-0343-4411-1. - pp. 113-136
Abstract:
As the mean age of first- time motherhood continues to rise throughout most
of the western world, and, increasingly, in emerging economies (OECD), normative
notions of “ideal” first- time pregnancy age have shifted, and purely biological conceptualizations
of fertility have been matched (and often challenged) by the emergence
of the notion of “social fertility”, which is often at a disconnect with biological fertility.
The increasingly widespread availability of Assisted Reproductive Technologies
(ARTs) has further extended the upper limits of childbearing age to the point that it
has been possible for post- menopausal women to give birth. This has brought about
a shift in the boundaries of “normal” – or even “natural” – motherhood, challenging
the applicability of commonly accepted definitions of age- related “norms” to women’s
life stages. While this process has been strongly contested, with charges of unnaturalness
being levelled at older mothers, and especially at those who resort to ARTs,
acceptance of older motherhood has become gradually more widespread. The linguistic
strategies increasingly deployed in its representation have both reflected and contributed
to this change. This chapter addresses discursive aspects of the construction
of “older mothers” identities in contemporary discourses of age- related reproductive
health and opportunities, focusing on medical discourse on the one hand, and selfrepresentations
of older motherhood on the other. While stigmatization of women who
choose to postpone motherhood persists across multiple discursive domains, a shift is
detectable in a growing body of texts which explicitly aims to neutralize social stigma
by opting for categorizations which rely on more linguistically neutral terms. The
chapter raises questions about the ideological implications of labelling strategies and
on the impact of such labelling on discursive identity constructions, and offers insights
into “older” first- time mothers’ strategies of self- representation.
Tipologia IRIS:
03 - Contributo in volume
Keywords:
Older motherhood; reproductive age; discourse analysis; discursive identity; language and social representation
Elenco autori:
P. Catenaccio
Link alla scheda completa:
Titolo del libro:
Age-Specific Issues : Language, Spaces, Technologies