Stories of Mothering: Lessons from Around the Globe

Tuesday, April 14, 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Ecumen Pathstone Latitude & Landing, 115 Rogers St, Mankato, MN 56001

Mothering is a universal human experience, yet every culture brings its own meanings, expectations, and everyday practices to the work of motherhood. In this talk, Dr. Susan Schalge shares insights from her anthropological research on women’s lives in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, along with broader cross-cultural examples of how mothers care for their families in diverse settings. Her fieldwork in Tanzania explored how women balance informal labor, household responsibilities, and social networks to support their families, revealing the ingenuity and resilience embedded in daily life. Drawing on decades of teaching and research in sociocultural and applied anthropology, Dr. Schalge highlights how ideas about motherhood differ across societies—shaped by history, economics, gender roles, and local understandings of family. At the same time, she reflects on the common threads that connect mothers worldwide: creativity, care, and the pursuit of well-being for their children. This presentation invites lifelong learners to consider what we can learn from the many ways mothering is practiced around the globe.

Presenter:

Dr. Susan Schalge – Dr. Schalge is a Professor of Anthropology at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her work focuses on sociocultural and applied anthropology, with specializations in gender, mothering, and the culture of higher education. She earned her MA and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Schalge has conducted extensive fieldwork, including dissertation research in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania examining women’s informal labor and household organization. Her more recent work explores cross-cultural motherhood and anthropological pedagogy.

Sponsor:

Steve Gilbert