Breastfeeding Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breastfeeding, including details on breast feeding benefits, problems, alcohol, diet.

Is breastfeeding fair? Tensions in feminist perspectives on breastfeeding and the family.

McCarter-Spaulding D

Department of Nursing, St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH 03109, USA. dmccarter@anselm.edu

Breastfeeding is widely acknowledged to have health benefits for mothers and infants. Because it is sex-specific, it challenges the feminist principle of gender-neutral childbearing. Various feminist theories addressing breastfeeding from the perspective of gender ideology, cultural feminism, and history are reviewed and contrasted. Employment and race disparities are addressed within feminist contexts. Feminist health activism is suggested as a unifying perspective.

Published 25 April 2008 in J Hum Lact, 24(2): 206-12.
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