The Social Construction of Motherhood and Daughterhood in Contemporary Poland-a Trans-Generational Perspective

The mother-daughter relationship has received increasing attention over the last few decades, both at the conceptual level and in empirical research. Unfortunately, however, this domain has not yet been sufficiently explored in the Polish context. Equally infrequent are empirical projects which strive to combine analysis of individual experiences with the examination of public discourse and social change within particular historical and cultural contexts. The present text analyzes the process of defining motherhood and daughterhood in Poland, focusing specifically on the trans-generational aspect of female identity construction. It is based on qualitative research carried out in the Warsaw area in 2005-2008. Arguably, such an analysis should help us to map the complicated intersections of gender, generation and positionality in times of social change and contribute to the development of a new perspective on the process of identity construction.