What you'll find in Motherhood and Feminism...
Kinser provides ample evidence throughout the book that feminism's pro-woman advocacy has clearly attended to issues of family and motherhood across the past 150 years or so. In the first chapter, she lays out five primary themes of feminist thought and activism, and explains how they apply to motherhood.
She then discusses how, at the turn of the (previous) century, women used their socially prescribed roles as mothers to extend their influence beyond the “private” sphere, gaining access for many women to institutions such as education and politics.
Moving from the Vote up through the 1960s/70s, Kinser explores the changing role that motherhood played not only in women’s efforts to advance various social causes, but also in political leaders’ efforts to advance their own agendas.
She then examines the evolution from 1980s pronatalism to the explosion of mommy blogs, and the roles that social policy and maternal writing and activism played in them.
Finally, Kinser looks at the expansion of contemporary mother activism in the last fifteen years or so, and suggests multiple and concrete ideas for bringing about national, community, and individual change.
The book offers an extensive bibliography, a Reader's Guide, and ideas for maternal research and activism projects.
She then discusses how, at the turn of the (previous) century, women used their socially prescribed roles as mothers to extend their influence beyond the “private” sphere, gaining access for many women to institutions such as education and politics.
Moving from the Vote up through the 1960s/70s, Kinser explores the changing role that motherhood played not only in women’s efforts to advance various social causes, but also in political leaders’ efforts to advance their own agendas.
She then examines the evolution from 1980s pronatalism to the explosion of mommy blogs, and the roles that social policy and maternal writing and activism played in them.
Finally, Kinser looks at the expansion of contemporary mother activism in the last fifteen years or so, and suggests multiple and concrete ideas for bringing about national, community, and individual change.
The book offers an extensive bibliography, a Reader's Guide, and ideas for maternal research and activism projects.
