Teaching Feminism and Motherhood - HELP

[NifeandFuck]

In the new academic year I'll be teaching half a module (university level 3) on Feminism and Motherhood. It's not really my area but I'm covering.

I wondered if anyone could give me any key feminist readings about motherhood? I'd especially like to get 1970s second wave thinkers on the reading list. I know Anne Oakley's work and Shulamith Firestone but I don't know much beyond this. I'm also using Sheila Kitzinger's work about re-claiming childbirth as a woman-centred experience.

A smattering of these kinds of theories or thinkers would be so helpful.

Thank you so much.

I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I'd like to put in a word for 'the ascent of woman'- evolutionary theory that centred the mother/baby dyad. Elaine Morgan

Ack, sorry, 'the descent of woman'

What mothers do (especially when it looks like nothing) by Naomi Stadlen might be of interest.

You might want to put in a word for protecting motherhood from #bigfertility
Ie the human rights abuse that is surrogacy

Probably not quite the aim of the course but I don't believe a feminist should support the farming of women and babies.

Renate Klein Surrogacy: A human rights abuse is very readable, quite short and to the point.

I wondered about something like "The politics of breastfeeding ', too (I've not read it but this type of thing seems v relevant to me.)

I’d add:

Kate Millett sexual politics
Friedan’s feminine mystique
Virginia Woolf a room of one’s own

Elisabeth Badinter- the myth of motherhood (hard to get hold of though)
Kristeva’s work on the semiotics of
mother/maternal (roots in judeo-Christianity)

Naomi Wolf’s misconceptions

Feminists of the 20th century wrote loads on motherhood. What it’s like to be one, not to be one. What’s good about it, what’s bad about it. Whether it’s oppressive or whether it liberates women (source of special values) etc etc.

Wow, so many recommendations! Thanks so much - lots to get my teeth into.

OP I didn't want to derail with my particular hive of bees buzzing in the bonnet, but if you do look at surrogacy you should do so in the context of the review of surrogacy law in the UK currently ongoing.

This article gives a good overview.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/09/who-better-than-men-to-rule-on-delicate-subject-of-surrogacy-law-commission

Also Nordic Model Now have a section devoted to surrogacy on their website with lots of information.

Invisible Women by Caroline Credo Perez talks about how women are discriminated against, and some of the examples are relevant; such as trying to use a public toilet when you have children,. or needing to work when you are the default parent.

@DaisiesandButtercups

What mothers do (especially when it looks like nothing) by Naomi Stadlen might be of interest.

This is one of the most important parenting books I read. I give it to all my friends when they had babies.

Thanks so much for all these suggestions.

The course is all about feminist understandings of motherhood/reproduction politics so these are great. Thank you!