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Mothers construct fathers: Destabilized patriarchy in La Leche League

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Abstract

This paper examines changing masculine ideals from the point of view of women homemakers through a case study of La Leche League, a maternalist organization dedicated to breastfeeding and mother primacy. We suggest two reasons for studying the League: first, an emerging literature suggests that changing norms are seeping into many such seemingly conservative groups, and second, the League continues to be highly successful among white, middle-class, married women. The paper looks at two aspects of masculinity, examining changes in the League through fieldwork, interviews, and content analysis, and finds that new norms of increased father involvement and decreased rights over women's bodies have both influenced League philosophy. We conclude that while in some respects a measure of the decline of men's patriarchal privileges, the League's changes also may contribute to a “restabilization” of male dominance in a modified, partial form.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-1382, Ann Arbor, MI

    Linda M. Blum (Assistant Professor of Sociology)

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

    Elizabeth A. Vandewater (Doctoral Candidate)

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  1. Linda M. Blum
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  2. Elizabeth A. Vandewater
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Blum, L.M., Vandewater, E.A. Mothers construct fathers: Destabilized patriarchy in La Leche League. Qual Sociol 16, 3–22 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990071

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