Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa
Recent work-family research has begun recognising the most invisible aspects of unpaid care work to be the physical, cognitive and emotional care load placed on women. The concept of the motherload, which describes the “highly gendered, often invisible, and undervalued work that those who perform mo...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Organisational Psychology
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614134678323200 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Somo, Moletlo |
| author2 | Jaga, Ameeta |
| author_browse | Jaga, Ameeta Somo, Moletlo |
| author_facet | Jaga, Ameeta Somo, Moletlo |
| author_sort | Somo, Moletlo |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Recent work-family research has begun recognising the most invisible aspects of unpaid care work to be the physical, cognitive and emotional care load placed on women. The concept of the motherload, which describes the “highly gendered, often invisible, and undervalued work that those who perform mothering undertake hindering their economic security, safety and wellbeing”, was explored through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 Black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa. The data were analysed through an intersectional analytical lens to understand how motherhood, race and professional occupation shapes the experiences of the motherload. The study's findings revealed the ways in which the Black working mothers experienced the motherload as they navigated the cultural expectations in the household and community, as well as their professional workplace identity. Three key themes were analysed which underscored the cultural care load placed on Black women and how that shapes the motherload through (1) Jostling between tradition and modernity: Black women navigating the motherload, (2) Black tax and caring beyond the household, and (3) Cultural dissonance and carrying the motherload. Recommendations were presented for improving the retention and attraction of Black working mothers through recognising the motherload within the workplace. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42714 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:13.200Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Organisational Psychology |
| publisherStr | Organisational Psychology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42714 An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa Somo, Moletlo Jaga, Ameeta motherload Black working mothers intersectionality Recent work-family research has begun recognising the most invisible aspects of unpaid care work to be the physical, cognitive and emotional care load placed on women. The concept of the motherload, which describes the “highly gendered, often invisible, and undervalued work that those who perform mothering undertake hindering their economic security, safety and wellbeing”, was explored through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 Black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa. The data were analysed through an intersectional analytical lens to understand how motherhood, race and professional occupation shapes the experiences of the motherload. The study's findings revealed the ways in which the Black working mothers experienced the motherload as they navigated the cultural expectations in the household and community, as well as their professional workplace identity. Three key themes were analysed which underscored the cultural care load placed on Black women and how that shapes the motherload through (1) Jostling between tradition and modernity: Black women navigating the motherload, (2) Black tax and caring beyond the household, and (3) Cultural dissonance and carrying the motherload. Recommendations were presented for improving the retention and attraction of Black working mothers through recognising the motherload within the workplace. 2026-01-28T07:47:54Z 2026-01-28T07:47:54Z 2025 2026-01-28T07:46:19Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42714 en eng application/pdf Organisational Psychology Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | motherload Black working mothers intersectionality Somo, Moletlo An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa |
| title_full | An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa |
| title_short | An intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in South Africa |
| title_sort | intersectional exploration of the motherload among black mothers in professional occupations in south africa |
| topic | motherload Black working mothers intersectionality |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42714 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT somomoletlo anintersectionalexplorationofthemotherloadamongblackmothersinprofessionaloccupationsinsouthafrica AT somomoletlo intersectionalexplorationofthemotherloadamongblackmothersinprofessionaloccupationsinsouthafrica |