The 21st Century Motherhood Movement: Mothers Speak Out on Why We Need to Change the World and How to Do It

This anthology, the first on the 21st century motherhood movement,includes seven sections: Becoming a Mother; Maternal Identities; Maternal Advocacy; Maternal Activism; Violence, Militarism, War and Peace; Social Change and Social Justice; Writing/Researching/Performing Motherhood—and features more than eighty motherhood organizations from around the globe. Each chapter discusses the context, history, mandate of the organization and examines the organization's activities, challenges, future goals, and its relationship to the larger motherhood movement. The introduction provides an overview of the history and ideological frameworks of the 21st century motherhood movement, discusses the challenges and possibilities of maternalism, details the specific practices and strategies of 21st century maternal activism, and considers such in relation to feminist theory and practice. This book affirms that the 21st century motherhood movement is an autonomous and distinct social movement that makes possible a much needed and long overdue mother-centred theory and politic of feminism.