Practicing Feminist Mothering

by Fiona Joy Green http://arpbooks.org/books/detail/practicing-feminist-mothering/ Practicing Feminist Mothering Table of Contents Introduction Practicing Feminist Mothering explores the realities of feminist mothering for both mothers and their children. It scrutinizes the discourse of motherhood by examining the material spaces that feminist mothers create to struggle with patriarchy. The book is based on in-depth interviews of sixteen feminist mothers and their adult children, one of whom is now a mother. Conducted from 1995 to 2007, they provide a rich understanding of the tensions within feminism surrounding issues of mothering and the reproduction of feminism itself. It illuminates the complexities of generational dynamics by exploring how the children mothered by self-conscious feminists think of feminism and mothering in their adult lives. By developing concepts of matroreform and motherlines, this book provides a powerful perspective on mothering as a central aspect of feminism. This is a monumental contribution to the field. As a maternal mental health scholar, researcher, psychologist, and a mother of two daughters, I found that Practicing Feminist Mothering quenches a deep thirst across all these personal and professional levels. Dr. Gina Wong, Chair, Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology, Athabasca University The possibility of maternal empowerment introduced by Adrienne Rich in Of Woman Born has been realized. We no longer have to wish for a model, a narrative, or theory of such; its power and vision is all here in Green’s tour de force on feminist mothering. Dr. Andrea O’Reilly, founder and director of the Motherhood Initiative and Demeter Press Green’s work encourages a powerful revisioning of motherhood, from restrictive institution to a site of autonomy and empowerment that is worthy of our continued study and discussion. Connie Jeske Crane in Herizons magazine SUBJECT Feminism & Feminist Theory/Women’s Studies/Motherhood PUBLISHED November 2011 PRICE $21.95 CDN PAGES 232 pp (Paper) DIMENSIONS 5.5″ × 8.5″ × 1.5″ ISBN-10 1894037545 ISBN-13 9781894037549