| Kukla
(philosophy, Carleton Univ.) advances feminist thinking about maternity
and breastfeeding. She starts with historical analysis of Enlightenment
ideas of the "imprinting" that mothers have on children during
gestation and breastfeeding, then analyzes Rousseau's influence and
French imaginaries of maternal practices producing ideal citizens for
the new republic. Kukla posits that in this era, two ideological types
emerge: the "Unruly Mother," whose behavior disrupts the healthy
development of both child and nation, and the "Fetish Mother," whose
"natural" purity requires no external aid in producing perfect
children. With these tropes in place, Kukla analyzes discourses of
breastfeeding ranging into the present, arguing that a discourse of
proximity and "bonding" is reproduced in scientific and popular
culture, preventing imaginative solutions to women's engagement in the
workforce during lactation. For example, breast milk may also be
provided to infants in bottles. The substance of infant feedings is
conflated with the mode of delivery. Contemporary discourse also
produces an unhealthy silence around the sensual (or even erotic)
dimensions of breastfeeding. The book concludes with an insightful
analysis of ideas about bodily boundaries and integration. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most levels/libraries. -- J. L. Croissant, University of Arizona |