| Description |
ix, 266 pages ; 23 cm |
| Summary |
Using a feminist perspective this book examines the vast amount of writing and talking about breast-feeding. Drawing on women's own accounts the author shows that most texts considerably oversimplify the picture by suggesting baby-milk manufacturers as the only villains of the piece in the decline of breast-feeding during the twentieth century. A more complex understanding takes account of the sexualisation of breasts, the working conditions under which infant-feeding takes place, professional interventions into mothering, and women's experiences of their bodies. Class and race are also significant: middle-class women to follow professional advice; black women particularly disappoint Western policy-makers in not living up to expectations that they will be natural breast-feeders. Policies, professional guidelines and popular breast-feeding books, shown to be preoccupied with getting women to do what they deem is natural, fail to address women's real needs. Finally, ideas for a feminist practice in infant-feeding are explored |
| Analysis |
Babies Feeding |
|
Breasts |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-259) and indexes |
| Subject |
Breast.
|
|
Breastfeeding.
|
|
Feminism.
|
| LC no. |
zbn95117989 |
| ISBN |
033362310X |
|
0333623118 (paperback) |
|
