Feminism, breasts, and breast-feeding / Pam Carter.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carter, Pam, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Feminism.

Breast.

Breastfeeding.

Physical Description:

ix, 266 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 1995.

Summary:

Using a feminist perspective this book examines the vast amount of writing and talking about breast-feeding. Drawing on women's own accounts the author shows that most texts considerably oversimplify the picture by suggesting baby-milk manufacturers as the only villains of the piece in the decline of breast-feeding during the twentieth century. A more complex understanding takes account of the sexualisation of breasts, the working conditions under which infant-feeding takes place, professional interventions into mothering, and women's experiences of their bodies. Class and race are also significant: middle-class women to follow professional advice; black women particularly disappoint Western policy-makers in not living up to expectations that they will be natural breast-feeders. Policies, professional guidelines and popular breast-feeding books, shown to be preoccupied with getting women to do what they deem is natural, fail to address women's real needs. Finally, ideas for a feminist practice in infant-feeding are explored.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-259) and indexes.

ISBN:

0312126255

OCLC:

32430238