Abstract
The aim of this paper is to discuss the problems of maternity idealization present in psychoanalytical theories. We adopt the book The Reproduction of Mothering as analysis’ object because of its historical repercussion in psychoanalysis and feminism, as well as because of its theoretical reasoning also used in recent psychoanalytical studies about maternity. The paper allowed to show that, even starting from a feminist perspective, the analyzed book reproduces the idealization of maternity, not considering the ambivalences present in children care, not even the possibility of women not desiring to be mothers. The hypothesis worked through is that the psychoanalytical perspective that lays the foundation for the author’s formulations facilitates the prescription about who can or cannot exercise the care and to reduce the importance of the social and desiring universe of the person who cares. Jean Laplanche’s psychoanalysis is presented as a potentially more open alternative to diversity present in children care. We intend with this paper to show the necessity of continuous debate between psychoanalysis and social critic perspectives, as feminism, as well as to instigate the problematization of purposes of psychoanalytical theories that presently propose to discuss themes about maternity and children care.
Maternity; Feminism; Psychonalysis; Nancy Chodorow; Jean Laplanche