Contested maternal temporalities: Gendered rhythms and values in Korean mothers' childcare experiences

Abstract

Despite advancements in gender equality in Korean society, traditional parenting roles continue to significantly shape mothers' professional and domestic experiences. This study examines how childcare responsibilities structure Korean mothers' temporal experiences through the lens of contested maternal temporalities. Time, for Korean mothers with young children, is not merely measured in hours but experienced through gendered obligations that fragment their daily life into competing temporal domains with unequal social value and emotional costs. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 12 mothers of children under age six, our thematic analysis revealed the centrality of temporal experiences in maternal lives and identified three interwoven temporal categories: caregiving time, career time, and in-between time. Caregiving time is a child-centered, cyclical domain marked by emotional intensity and social expectations that prioritize maternal care. Career time is nonlinear and flexible, reflecting mothers' precarious professional circumstances while highlighting tensions between workplace culture and caregiving duties. In-between time represents a temporary personal relief contingent on caregiving substitutes, revealing both emotional reprieve and the limits of available support. This analytical framework highlights how maternal temporalities extend beyond quantitative time use to encompass qualitative dimensions of rhythm, pace, and control-each deeply shaped by gendered structures. These temporal categories illustrate how the intersection of social norms, institutional arrangements, and gender roles structures the everyday temporal experience of mothers. These findings call for coherent, multi-level action-from the household to national policy-to help mother integrate caregiving, work, and self-care, turning maternal time into harmonized rhythms rather than competing domains.