Mothers and Sons

Rating:
Summary: Provocative findings on mother-son relationships
Review: Babette Smith's book Mothers & Sons is based on a limited sample of interviews with both mothers and sons, mostly Australian and English, and mostly middle class. Smith has also reviewed extensive literature on this most basic and yet most misunderstood of relationships. The book will enlighten many. Smith sees a sea change in relationships between men now in their 50s and 60s with their mothers and with men now in their twenties and thirties with theirs. The younger ones confide in their mothers more and are less bored in their company. Smith credits feminism and increased workforce participation for the increased worldliness of women and hence their sons' greater respect for their advice. Older women had less education and resorted to catchphrases when giving advice: "Be a gentleman", "Waste not want not", etc. They were more apt to see things in black and white - another result, Smith says, of lower average education. The book has worthwhile messages for mothers, sons, daughters, sisters and (most of all?) daughters in law.