I was born in France and have studied English and American Studies at the University of Nottingham (BA) and Gender Studies at the University of Warwick (MA). I am studying for a doctorate in Gender Studies and I am also a residential tutor for undegraduate students living on campus.

About My Research

Department: Sociology

Supervisor: Dr Caroline Wright and Dr Christina Hughes

Choosing/Risking the Right Time for reproduction?: A comparative study of younger and older mothers in the UK

My research draws on contemporary concerns around timing, risk and reproductive choice. Specifically, the research concentrates on very young mothers (ages 14–16) and older mothers (40+) and will investigate the construction, representation and negotiation of dominant discourses of motherhood exemplified through this sample. The research aims to explore concurrently the experiences of younger and older mothers and how they overlap to address this question: What is the significance of a narrowing time frame of acceptable motherhood for women who lie on the margins of it? In particular I aim to investigate how these mothers' reproductive biographies represent a challenge to normative narratives of appropriately timed motherhood.

The research design is broadly qualitative and will involve:

• Discursive analysis of print media texts about age and motherhood
• Interviews with mothers about their experiences and opinions on motherhood
• Focus group interviews exploring mothers' interpretations of media texts identified earlier

The purpose of the multi-method design is to illuminate the connections between discursive fields and practices. The overall aim of the research is to contribute to feminist theorising and praxis on motherhood through an original conceptual framework and innovative methodology. I started my fieldwork in June 2006.

Year Started: 2005

 

 

Maud Perrier

Contact Me

Resident Tutor

Hurst 7

University of Warwick

Coventry

CV4 7AL

Tel: 02476522886

Email: M.M.Perrier@warwick.ac.uk

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