The Table is Life: Creating Sustainable Platform for Early Motherhood

Abstract

The aim of this study is to contribute towards bridging the gap between the expectations (what should be) and the realities (what is) of modern motherhood. Reviewing current publications, there seem to be no clear answers to this issue, despite a wealth of information available. As more women find themselves coping with the ‘motherhood penalty’ (Corell et al 2007), a prevalent gender gap – where men are paid more than women while occupying higher paying jobs (BLS, 2014), and greater domestic responsibilities than her partner (Parker, 2015), many women retreat, choosing either to stay home, or instead focus on the workplace (Stuart, 2007) - the issue being one of support. In light of this view, the discussion centres on enhancing support for women experiencing early motherhood, with a focus on educated mothers re-siding in Finland, who paused their careers to contribute meaningfully to their families.

Applying recent practices of human centred design to address the issue, details gathered from selected parents using ethnographic tools including observation and interviews, in addition to supporting contex-tual research are initially compiled and then analysed, where dominant insights are uncovered, setting the framework for the proposed solution. The most prominent insights include: financial mobility, where there is a struggle to reconcile life now, and where life should be, desiring autonomy; selective health consciousness, where stringent emphasis is placed on specific well-being markers; food is life, where food preparation functions as necessity, pleasure, and culture transfer; managing the conflict, where finding an even ground for tension resolution, requires revaluating value systems; ‘us’ time, where finding an equitable balance for partners and offspring demands constant revision; Defining the motherhood role, where feelings of guilt arise from perceived over-reliance on partner; and lastly struggle for acknowledgement, where desire to be appreciated in the motherhood role, leads to seeking a career out-side the home.

From this initial analysis the emerging theme is established: food - its preparation, cost, and sheer im-portance on a day-to-day basis. Family life is based around this theme; where food becomes an incredi-ble bonding component. Drawing from the research, food preparation, along with other areas of domesti-city, is left largely to the responsibility of the mother, with fathers remaining oblivious. Based on the sto-ries of each parent, it becomes apparent that the onus on mothers is especially burdensome, as the cul-ture through which they engage in motherhood, focuses most of its support from their partner. The issue then evolves to encouraging fathers to support their partners in the early stages of motherhood. One possibility is to change the dialogue from father as only provider to father as also nurturer.

Using food as the facilitator, the aim is for fathers to nurture their families through nourishing their part-ners. The proposal, named the Table Is Life is a multi-platform concept that engages couples with young children to bond through the pleasures of good eating. The concept is illustrated in three stages: the reci-pe subscription with site to store access; the food and cooking workshop; and finally the community, a space where couples are free to share their thoughts and suggestions.