MOTHERHOOD IN UKRAINIAN CULTURE: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE MODERN MOTHER

Abstract

The article examines the concept of the psychology of motherhood and the modern understanding of this phenomenon in the scientific world. A theoretical analysis of existing research on this topic is carried out, the main approaches to the problem of motherhood today in the domestic and foreign scientific environment are highlighted. The main stages of the formation of the "mother-child" relationship are studied, the most important of which is the stage of pregnancy and childhood, as well as the very concept of "motherhood" as part of a woman's personal sphere. The influence of the fact of pregnancy planning on the formation of a positive emotional attitude towards the child in the mother is also considered. Motherhood is considered organically connected with the material and spiritual culture of the people, traditions. In this aspect, culture is a form of transmission of experience, and motherhood, along with and with the help of tradition, acts as a mechanism for the transmission of cultural values. Motherhood "reflects the accumulated experience of the people, the values suffered by them, the main orientations and norms of communication."Based on the key provisions of the systemic-structural approach, the author convincingly proves that the image of the mother is a projection of the value-semantic and qualitative characteristics of maternal behavior and world perception represented in the mind, presented at different levels of a hierarchically defined system of reflection – the perceptual, conceptual and amodal levels. Each level of representation of the image of the mother is characterized by features of its representation: idealization and denial of the shortcomings of one's mothers (perceptual level), moralization, obligations, high social requirements (conceptual level), perception of the image (amodal level). The generalized image of the mother, represented in the minds of Ukrainians, is represented by a conglomerate of value-semantic and instrumental (they ensure effective interaction with others and, first of all, with children) characteristics.