HAPPINESS ETHICS - HOW TO BE “A GOOD MOTHER”AND DO THE BEST FOR THE CHILD

Abstract

We make decisions based on our values and self-interest. In this article we are interested in motherhood and consumption. Today, fashion-interested mothers are active online sharing opinions and information on children´s clothing (Friedman 2013). By examining conversations in an Internet forum for mothers about children´s clothing the aim is to discover how they reason about motherhood and ethical values linked to their attempt to be good mothers in relation to gender norms and children´s participation. As our theoretical framework we use Bourdieu and Goffman. Based on posted messages in a Swedish internet forum we identified how mothers in their self presentations position themselves. Mothers create and develop different maternal identities through their discussions regarding consumption experiences (Goffman,1959/2006).