Category: The Motherhood Issue
Recent tragedy highlights greater risks for new mothers
by Emilie Egger After days of countless press outlets expressing pity for “nice guy” Jovan Belcher, who suddenly “snapped” and committed a murder-suicide, and even the indirect blaming of Kasandra Perkins, his girlfriend whom he shot nine times and killed, certain media outlets are finally coming around to examining the actual victims in this case. Namely, Perkins and her now orphaned 3-month-old daughter. As analysis … Continue reading Recent tragedy highlights greater risks for new mothers
“In the Service of the Matriarchy”: A Conversation with Author Robert Leleux
by Emma Staffaroni “I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the life I have. The life I get to live is the life imagined by my mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother. It’s like Gloria Steinem said: ‘We have to imagine change before we can begin to move toward it.’ I am so grateful for these women who imagined this Manhattan life.” – Robert Leleux Anyone … Continue reading “In the Service of the Matriarchy”: A Conversation with Author Robert Leleux
“Kisses to the Little Ones”: Martha Jefferson Randolph & 18th Century Motherhood
by Katy Gehred The little “about me” blurb at the end of all my posts says that if you have any questions about Thomas Jefferson, I’m the one to ask. Well, this is 100% true. As anybody who knows me for more than three minutes finds out, I used to work as a tour guide at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. (Don’t know what that is? Look … Continue reading “Kisses to the Little Ones”: Martha Jefferson Randolph & 18th Century Motherhood
Breastfeeding in Public: Utterly Normal
by Jennifer Garvey When I read the recent Huffington Post headline stating that a professor had breastfed her child in class, my first thought was that this was a lactivist at work. In a nutshell, lactivists are advocates for breastfeeding, but to the point where it borders on extremism. La Leche League is a good example of this. While LLL is an amazing resource for nursing mothers, they often … Continue reading Breastfeeding in Public: Utterly Normal
Mothers’ Pensions: A Case Study in Perceptions of Low-Income Mothers
By Emma Staffaroni The following is edited and excerpted from a paper entitled “Single Mothers, Social Mothers, and Welfare Reform: Maternalism in the Early 20th Century.” Mothers’ Pensions: A Case Study in Perceptions of and Attitudes toward Poor Mothers in the Early Twentieth Century “The justice of today is born of yesterday’s pity.” –Julia Lathrop In order to fully comprehend the role maternalism–or political motherhood–played … Continue reading Mothers’ Pensions: A Case Study in Perceptions of Low-Income Mothers
Sitting Shiva with the Synagogue Ladies
by Rebecca Linz I was at a Weight Watchers meeting the first time I ever heard someone use the expression “sitting shiva.” A middle-aged Jewish woman announced with a loud voice and a strong Long Island accent that it had been a hard week for her weight loss efforts: “I was so bad. We were sittin’ shiva for my dear aunt Shoshanna and let me … Continue reading Sitting Shiva with the Synagogue Ladies
Babysitter Wanted
by Carolyn O’Laughlin Babysitter Wanted General Details about Position: Two small boys, aged 5 and 2, and their two mothers—aged none of your beeswax– seek hybrid Mary Poppins-Maury Povich babysitter. Mary(ish) responsibilities include keeping children entertained with creative and physical activities (preferably activities that result in long hours of sleep). Maury(ish) responsibilities include keeping fisticuffs between brothers limited. Candidates with Maury-like experience facilitating and/or delaying … Continue reading Babysitter Wanted
Welcome to the MOTHERHOODS Issue!
Hello Re/Visioners, I’d like to open the December/January issue of Re/visionist with a few quotes: “The earliest education is most important and it most undoubtedly is woman’s work. If the author of nature had meant to assign it to men he would have given them milk to feed the child.” –Jean Jacques Rousseau, Emile “The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human … Continue reading Welcome to the MOTHERHOODS Issue!
When We Were Free to Be… Revisiting A Children’s Classic at the Heart of the Women’s Movement
by Lori Rotskoff and Laura Lovett Parts of this essay are excerpted from Lori Rotskoff and Laura Lovett, eds., When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a Children’s Classic and the Difference It Made (UNC Press, 2012) If you grew up or raised children during the 1970s, there’s a good chance you remember Free To Be…You and Me, the groundbreaking children’s record, book … Continue reading When We Were Free to Be… Revisiting A Children’s Classic at the Heart of the Women’s Movement
Re/Visionist 