Long time since the last post.
A week ago I read this article in the FAZ society pages on Sunday. It was an article about Carla Bruni's baby (Giulia as we know now). The byline was whether Bruni would be "an Italienische Mamma oder emanzipierte französische Gelegenheitsmutter" (i.e. whether an Italian Mamma or an emancipated French Gelegenheitsmutter).
I am not sure whether anyone else found the term "Gelegenheitsmutter" offensive. There is no good translation of Gelegenheitsmutter in English. Gelegenheit means opportunity / chance (as in could you call me when you have the chance?). So a Gelegenheitsmutter is someone who is a mother only "bei Gelegenheit" or when opportune.
Sometimes I am quite taken back as I realise how strong the prejudice against working mothers is in Germany. Often people are asked: "Why do you have children if you can't take care of them?" Women of course buy into this mindset, and feel pushed to settle - for not working, for part time jobs, for jobs that are beneath their qualifications.
A week ago I read this article in the FAZ society pages on Sunday. It was an article about Carla Bruni's baby (Giulia as we know now). The byline was whether Bruni would be "an Italienische Mamma oder emanzipierte französische Gelegenheitsmutter" (i.e. whether an Italian Mamma or an emancipated French Gelegenheitsmutter).
I am not sure whether anyone else found the term "Gelegenheitsmutter" offensive. There is no good translation of Gelegenheitsmutter in English. Gelegenheit means opportunity / chance (as in could you call me when you have the chance?). So a Gelegenheitsmutter is someone who is a mother only "bei Gelegenheit" or when opportune.
Sometimes I am quite taken back as I realise how strong the prejudice against working mothers is in Germany. Often people are asked: "Why do you have children if you can't take care of them?" Women of course buy into this mindset, and feel pushed to settle - for not working, for part time jobs, for jobs that are beneath their qualifications.
