Continuity and Change in Intergenerational Motherhood Experiences: The Mardin (Türkiye) Case

Abstract

At no time in history has social change been as rapid as it is today. Developments in digital technologies have profoundly transformed everyday life, including motherhood experiences. This study examines intergenerational continuity and change in motherhood experiences related to pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare in Mardin, T & uuml;rkiye, a culturally diverse region where long-standing traditional social relations coexist with rapid social transformation driven by modernization, urbanization, educational expansion, digitalization, and changing gender relations. This socio-cultural context provides a valuable setting for exploring how motherhood has both persisted and changed across generations. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological design based on subjective experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 women from two generations (mother-daughter pairs) using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The interview data were analyzed using MAXQDA 24 through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that motherhood continues to be shaped by enduring patriarchal norms while simultaneously being redefined through medicalization, professional expertise, digitalization, and the ideology of intensive mothering. Important continuities remained, particularly regarding maternal responsibility and gendered divisions of care, whereas substantial changes emerged in digitalization, medicalization, parental roles, family planning, anxiety, child-centeredness, and sources of parenting knowledge.