The intent of the encyclopedia is to introduce readers to and provide information on the central terms, concepts, topics, issues, themes, debates, theories, and texts of this new discipline of motherhood studies as well as to examine the topic of motherhood in various contexts such as history and geography and by academic discipline. Additionally, the central and governing terms and concepts of maternal scholarship, such as daugher-centiricty, matraphopia, matroreform, cultural bearing, maternal thinking, motherline, mask of motherhood, intensive mothering, new momism, empowered mothering, homeplace, othermothering, to name but a few, are all included in the encyclopedia. This reference work provides an overview of the topic of motherhood in many and diverse disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, as well it examines the meaning and experience of motherhood in many time periods from classic civilizations to present day. Finally, as the encyclopedia provides a history of motherhood, it also covers issues and events of our current times to feature entries on the mommy blog, the motherhood memoir, terrorism, reproductive technologies, HIV/AIDS, LGBT families, the 21st-century motherhood movement (including entries for contemporary motherhood organizations).
