Abstract
The articleprovides a theoretical analysis of the notions of “maternity”, “maternal sphe-re”, “maternal role” and “maternal identity”. The place of maternal identity in the system of a woman’s identities is determined. This article provides a brief description of the structural elements (cognitive, emotional, behavioural and axiological) of maternal identity. It also em-phasizes the signifi cance of the postpartum period in a women’s psychic life and stresses its pivotal role in the development of maternal identity. Finally, the article points out some peculiarities of maternal identity of full-term and pre-term mothers.
Highlights
The period of early adulthood is characterized by a number of peculiarities which relate to attaining new social roles, reaching maturity and overcoming crisis periods
Maternity as a psycho-social phenomenon is addressed from two main positions: as provision of conditions for the development of a child and as part of a personal sphere of a woman
Maternal identity is understood as the perceptual unity of self-perception, consciousness and feeling of a woman as mother as well as her own self-realization of maternity
Summary
Modern literature defines maternity as a complex bio- and psycho-social phenomenon, or, the result of the interaction of numerous factors, genetic, biological and those pertaining to the family and social environment. As the birth of a baby is an important event in the family life, in the postpartum period a woman experiences a wide range of emotions and feelings which in the long run could reflect her relationships both with the baby and other family members All these changes will undoubtedly influence the formation of both maternal identity of a woman in general and every of its constituent elements in particular. Stabilization of all concepts occurs (cognitive component of maternal identity), as well as the acceptance and development of operational content (behavioural component of maternal identity); the attitude towards the baby is specified; the emergence of feelings originating from the interaction with the baby forms the final concept of the need for maternity and childcare (emotional component of maternal identity); an interference of values acquire its stable meaning, being concretized under the conditions of neonatal period (value-related and sense bearing component of maternal identity)
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