Militant Lactivism?: Attachment Parenting and Intensive Motherhood in the UK and France (Fertility, Reproduction and Sexuality: Social and Cultural Perspectives #24)

By: Charlotte Faircloth

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Synopsis: Following networks of mothers in London and Paris, the author profiles the narratives of women who breastfeed their children to full term, typically a period of several years, as part of an 'attachment parenting' philosophy. These mothers talk about their decision to continue breastfeeding as 'the natural thing to do': 'evolutionarily appropriate', 'scientifically best' and 'what feels right in their hearts'. Through a theoretical focus on knowledge claims and accountability, the author frames these accounts within a wider context of 'intensive parenting', arguing that parenting practices – infant feeding in particular – have become a highly moralized affair for mothers, practices which they feel are a critical aspect of their 'identity work'. The book investigates why, how and with what implications some of these mothers describe themselves as 'militant lactivists' and reflects on wider parenting culture in the UK and France. Discussing gender, feminism and activism, this study contributes to kinship and family studies by exploring how relatedness is enacted in conjunction to constructions of the self.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 278 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9780857457592
Related ISBNs:: 9780857457585, 9781800730137
Publisher:: Berghahn Books, Incorporated
Date of Addition:: 06/21/21
Copyrighted By:: Charlotte Faircloth
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: Nonfiction, Health, Mind and Body, Parenting and Family, Social Studies
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.