https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022117713154 Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 1–12 © The Author(s) 2017 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0022022117713154 journals.sagepub.com/home/jcc Article Mothering Babies: Issues and Experiences of Women From a Traditional, Collectivist Society in a Modern, Individualistic One Nehami Baum 1 and Ravit Nisan 1 Abstract This study examines the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of first- and second-generation Ethiopian immigrant mothers in Israel. This subject is important in and of itself and also because it serves as an example of what happens to immigrant mothers from traditional, collectivist societies in modern, individualistic ones. Face-to-face interviews with 30 mothers of babies reveal generational similarities and differences. Both first- and second-generation immigrants identified motherhood as the “essence” of life for women, defined a “good mother” as one who was there to meet all of her children’s needs at all times, and expressed a strong desire to combine the ways of Ethiopia and Israel. With this, the first generation emphasized the need to give the baby space to grow, whereas the second generation regarded the baby as a being to be molded. In addition, the second generation considered it important to play with their babies and express their love for them explicitly, which the first generation did not. Keywords immigration, first generation, second generation, a “good mother,” mothering babies, motherhood Recent years have seen large waves of immigration from countries with traditional and collectiv- ist cultures to countries with modern and individualistic ones. Among the immigrants are young women who will give birth to and raise their babies in their new country. In addition to adjusting themselves, they will have to wrestle with the complications of parenting their babies in a differ- ent culture from that in which they were raised. They will have to decide what sort of parent they want to be, where and from whom they will seek and accept advice and help, which values of the new culture they will adopt, and which of their culture of origin they will retain (Falicov, 2003; Liamputtong, 2003; Ochocka, Janzen, Sundar, & Fuller, 2001; Portes & Rumbaut, 2001; Roer- Strier, 2001; Tummala-Narra, 2004). Although the process is incumbent on both parents, most of it falls on the mother, who is the primary parent and major influence in the first months of the baby’s life. It is thus vital to obtain thorough understanding of what she feels, thinks, and experi- ences from her own perspective. 1 Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel Corresponding Author: Nehami Baum, Head, The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel. Email: Nehami.Baum@biu.ac.il 713154JCC XX X 10.1177/0022022117713154Journal of Cross-Cultural PsychologyBaum and Nisan research-article 2017