Feminist Mothering

Feminist mothering is a political act that takes place in the everyday lives of mothers and children. It entails the practical integration of feminism and mothering, whereby women consciously draw upon their feminist theorizing, philosophies, and world-view as they engage in the motherwork of rearing children. Feminist mothers challenge the effects of patriarchal power and privilege in their own lives, in the lives of their children, and in the lives of people in their communities and the world at large.

While feminism is composed of numerous perspectives and positions, most feminists view the majority of—if not all—cultures as patriarchal and, thus, [Page 401]award power, advantages and prestige to men and the masculine. They recognize that this privileging of males over females is produced, maintained, and perpetuated ...