[Un]conventional motherhood: Media representations and perceptions of older mothers in Thailand

Older women's maternal roles are often assumed to diminish once their children reach adulthood. As a result, older mothers are marginalized and underrepresented in the media and society. This research examines cultural perceptions and representations of older motherhood in Thailand, a country with one of Asia's fastest-growing aging populations, through the analysis of Kasian Samran, a popular influencer marketing channel featuring the mothers of four entertainment celebrities, and interview data with sixteen Thai women aged 60 to 69. It reveals that the show challenges stereotypes of older mothers as obsolete, dependent, and disconnected from younger generations by depicting them as digitally literate, active, and self-reliant, while reinforcing traditional feminine ideals by glorifying domesticity and maternal care roles. It also associates the celebrity children's accomplishments with 'successful motherhood'. Participants' reflections were closely aligned with these narratives. They aspired to remain independent of their children's care and support while sustaining relationships with them. Some were committed to domestic roles and raising successful children, while attempting to be 'modern agers' by being digitally engaged and relatable to younger generations. This study highlights the paradoxes in the representations of older motherhood in Thailand, a country shaped by modern neoliberal ideals alongside enduring national traditions that uphold familial harmony and domesticity. It contributes culturally specific insights into older motherhood in an underexamined Global South context to feminist and media studies, and it calls for more inclusive and diverse representations of aging women and their maternal roles.