The 21st Century Motherhood Movement: Mothers Speak Out on Why We Need to Change the World and How to Do It

by O'Reilly, Andrea

• ISBN13: 9780986667114
• ISBN10: 0986667110
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-01
• Publisher: Demeter Press

Summary

This anthology, the first on the 21st century motherhood movement,includes seven sections: Becoming a Mother; Mater- nal Identities; Maternal Advocacy; Maternal Activism; Violence, Militarism, War and Peace; Social Change and Social Justice; Writing/Researching/Performing Motherhood—and features more than eighty motherhood organizations from around the globe. Each chapter discusses the context, history, mandate of the organization and examines the organization’s activi- ties, challenges, future goals, and its relationship to the larger motherhood movement. The introduction provides an overview of the history and ideological frameworks of the 21st century motherhood movement, discusses the challenges and possibili- ties of maternalism, details the specific practices and strategies of 21st century maternal activism, and considers such in rela- tion to feminist theory and practice. This book affirms that the 21st century motherhood movement is an autonomous and dis- tinct social movement that makes possible a much needed and long overdue mother-centred theory and politic of feminism.

Author Biography

Andrea O’Reilly is a Professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at York University and is founder and director of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (mirci). She is the author and editor of eighteen books on motherhood and the editor of the first Encyclopedia of Motherhood.