Rka Shome Global Mothers Summary

The study conducted in this article was done in order to show how Caucasian females are considered to be Earth’s “global mothers.” The essay emphasizes specifically on how close associations of race, gender, sexuality, and expansionism are assigned and then executed in the modern positions of the Caucasian women. Raka Shome, the author, examines the representational logics of global motherhood by zoning in on Princess Diana, Madonna, and Angelina Jolie. Mostly looking into Princess Diana because she was the first women in modern times to represent global motherhood, and is a role model for Madonna and Jolie. While looking into Princess Diana, Shome was interested in the way(s) white women are viewed as always loving and caring enough to be considered the global mothers.
Through content analysis Shome addresses how white women are often shown in a soft light, making them glow angelically. White women are also usually incredibly beautiful, usually tall, fit, and middle or upper class when photographed for advertisement purposes. This research attempts to explain why white women are seen universally as global

mothers. Global motherhood, according to Shome in the article, is strongly imbricated in the ideologies and social forces of white heterosexual independence.
Due to the fact that this study is based off of the rhetorical paradigm of research there is not necessarily a research question, but more of a theory that is Shome is trying to prove in order to prove this organization of culture. Like mentioned earlier, Shome is showing, what she believes is evidence, proving that the white women is viewed as global mothers. Shome does a good job of explaining what it is she is trying to demonstrate as a truth. The content analysis performed by Shome does positively add both credibility and reliability to her claim.
To conduct this research Shome gathered news stories, such as a story ABC news published in 2005 covering Angelina Jolie’s adoption of an Ethiopian child. She also collected photos (or visual codes) used in magazines and other media forms of Madonna, Princess Diana, and Angelina Jolie holding/consoling children, usually of different races. Shome also looks minimally into some adoption agency names and into a book about Princess Diana (Diana: An Extraordinary life), and a television program covering Princess Diana (The Diary of a Princess) as well. Throughout the study Shome also examines many magazines covering all three of these sample women (Princess Diana, Madonna, and Angelina Jolie). The three specific women were chosen by Shome to represent global motherhood due to their popularity, race, and because they serve as UNICEF good will ambassadors. UNICEF is an abbreviation standing for the United Nations Children’s fund, previously titled United Nations International Children’s Emergency fund. The fact that these women are goodwill ambassadors means that they work for UNICEF. Princess Diana is focused on greatly by Shome because she was the first women in the late 20th century who was extensively viewed as a global mother.
This study has some really strong strengths as well as a few weaknesses.

Shome’s entire investigation of white females being seen global mothers helps to validate her claim. She organized her essay almost perfect. To begin with, as usual, she started with an introduction. This introduction was a few paragraphs long but very helpful because it clearly states the reason for her study. Another thing that was stated is that there is little work written on the transnationalism of white femininity before she conducted this study. She defines minimal terms in the introduction, such as ethical imperialism and transnational intimacies, to ensure her readers feel informed about the topic before moving on. I do feel that there are a couple other terms Shome should have defined, but not necessarily in the introduction, in order to further educate her

readers.
The next section subtitled Representations of “Global Motherhood” is a smaller one. Within the first paragraph, her samples (those whom are begin studied) are listed. Shome justifies her reasons on picking the three women she did and then enlightens the readers to whom she will focus on the most throughout this study. In the second paragraph in this study Shome lists and provides small details about her next three sections. I believe that this is a flaw in the organization of this article. These two key points of information could have easily been added into the introduction and there would have been no need of this small section to be secluded.
I personally liked her context analysis that dealt with photography, subtitled Rays of Light. Shome wrote an excellent description of numerous photos and then added a limited number of the photos into the end of this section. This was to physically demonstrate the ways light is used in order to give the white woman angelic attributes. Many people learn more from seeing something over just reading about it. Shome also explains how ordinary/normal, looking people, in today’s society, are not seen as sufficient enough, attractiveness wise. Today media over abuses Photoshop, air brushing and similar programs to exaggerate what we see as beauty (flawless skin, toned/skinny frame, gorgeous smooth hair, etc.) to an almost unachievable point.
In this same section she also informed the reader about the ways that the photographer sets up, or positions the photos and people being photographed. One of her example photographs show how Princess Diana is above an ill child, as the child looks up towards Diana with devotion. The photos also help to validate Shome’s claim of how the mother (in this case Princess Diana) is usually looking down with sympathy to the child. I found this segment to be one of the strongest of Shome’s entire piece. It was the most interesting and has pictures to authenticate her claims which also gives the reader something to look at other than letters and punctuation.
Shome’s section of the article titled transnational maternities and “Ethics of Care” was also a strong section. She discussed imperialism, which is defined as a policy of extending a country’s power or rule and their impact through international relations or military force. She gives different examples of how we struggle with imperialism over maternities. The examples used are solid ones and use pathos to make the reader feel sad. However, the rest of this section I feel like of lacks the ability to entertain. After the first few paragraphs, where examples were given and abandonment and relinquishment were defined, my interest was lost.
The last section of this essay, prior to the conclusion, is a section called United Colors of Children. In this, Shome mentions families with a lot of color, meaning a family of different race and religions. This last section is another very strong area. Shome, in this segment, also talks a great deal about how us, as Americans, feel misfortune for abandoned and relinquished children due to us hating the underlying conditions of their home country. “We are meant to feel gratitude that we are not them” (Shome, 2011, p.402). This, in all, proves that we have a swollen sense of superiority over these other countries which then, makes it seem necessary to us to take care of them when needed. There is some irony to this that Shome mentions, which also makes this section interesting. It makes the reader stop and think, and therefore retain the information more.
The conclusion of this essay is short and to the point. Shome re-mentions her main ideas to help remind the reader. In the conclusion Shome explains that the power of whiteness is always altering its strategies as a reaction to the altering contours of the nation. Also that the contours are always imbricated in geopolitical and international relations.
Overall the study and essay done by Shome was a respectable one. She put lots of effort into not only steering her research and analysis in the right direction but also her ability to transmit it onto paper was executed well. Shome’s purpose was to show how white women are represented as predetermined global mothers and also to show how close relations of gender, race, and sexuality are managed to these global mothers. Shome successfully accomplished both of the goals of her essay while managing to keep her audience entertained.