Motherhood and money: How motherhood shapes everyday financial practices

Abstract

This article contributes to the growing everyday financialisation literature by exploring how motherhood shapes financial practices and household financial management. Existing literature on finances in different-sex partnerships has identified gendered practices, echoing the unequal gendered division of labour. We contribute to this literature by demonstrating that it is not simply gender but more specifically norms of motherhood that formulate inequities in how family finances are managed. Based on interviews conducted by and co-analysis sessions with community researchers, we explore how the economic reality and social construct of motherhood places the responsibility for family wellbeing on mothers as individuals rather than collective welfare solutions. The three impact areas we identify – reduced income, increased financial, emotional and cognitive labour, and internalised responsibility – show the financial and mental burden that falls on mothers while conveying a sense that the resulting pressure is a personal, rather than societal, failure. Our findings highlight the need to find ways to support mothers without furthering the internalisation of responsibility. They also raise questions how other socio-cultural constructions shape financial practices and exacerbate inequalities, which should be taken account in everyday financialisation literature.