Proceedings of the 2026 12th International Conference on Digital Humanities and Frontiers in Social Sciences (DHFSS 2026)

2026 12th International Conference on Digital Humanities and Frontiers in Social Sciences (DHFSS 2026)

📍Beijing, China🗓️ 29-31 May 2026
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Dilemma and Breakthrough: A Study on Motherhood in China

Authors
Junyan Zhou1, *
1Beijing Information Technology College, Beijing, China
*Corresponding author. Email: zhoujy@bitc.edu.cn
Corresponding Author
Junyan Zhou
Available Online 7 September 2026.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_112How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Motherhood; Intensive Motherhood; Motherhood Penalty; Fertility-friendly Society
Abstract

This paper systematically reviews and examines the current situation, practical dilemmas and breakthrough paths of motherhood in China. In the era of low fertility, motherhood has evolved from a private issue into a public concern related to population reproduction and sustainable social development, undergoing an unprecedented restructuring. Based on an analysis of the conceptual evolution of motherhood, this paper explores the maternal practices of urban middle-class women from the dimensions of institution–practice–experience-institution, and reveals the institutional roots of the motherhood penalty and the practical differentiation and core dilemmas of maternal anxiety. Findings show that contemporary Chinese motherhood is characterized by multiple transformations, including duty intensification, educational brokerization, and digitalization. The absence of fatherhood, and the lack of high-quality public childcare services form the structural background of maternal dilemmas. Resolving these dilemmas requires transcending the privatized framework and moving toward socialized sharing of responsibilities. New circumstances demand new institution and the construction of a fertility-friendly society.

Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2026 12th International Conference on Digital Humanities and Frontiers in Social Sciences (DHFSS 2026)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
7 September 2026
ISBN
978-2-38476-611-6
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_112How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Junyan Zhou
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/07
TI  - Dilemma and Breakthrough: A Study on Motherhood in China
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 12th International Conference on Digital Humanities and Frontiers in Social Sciences (DHFSS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1041
EP  - 1048
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_112
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-611-6_112
ID  - Zhou2026
ER  -