At the Breast: Ideologies of Breastfeeding and Motherhood in the Contemporary United States

A colleague of Linda Blum advised her against using the word breasts in her book about mothH erhood, breastfeeding, and how our notions of both are inextricably tied to ideologies of genH der, class, and race. While the comment could not have been made in all seriousness, when I read Blum's account of this conversation I couldn't help but feel the same way. Indeed, as I toted the book along with me over the course of several weeks, it was impossible to ignore the stares and questioning looks the book's title incited. The comments ranged from the sarcasH tic to the bemused, but most were some variaH tion on the theme of "What on earth are you reading?" It was through these interactions that the significance of Blum's research was driven home to me. As I explained over and over again what the book was about, my female colleagues, friends, and family members shifted from puzzled to intrigued-with most asking for more details, and some asking to borrow the book. In studying breastfeeding, Blum has clearly found a topic that speaks to women, yet the negative responsH es the book's title received show just how much families which she uses to compare childHrearing beliefs and parenting strategies. Hill juxtaposes childHdevelopment and childHrearing theories that stigmatize black parents as dysfunctional with interviews of black and white parents to show that they have similar values, views of parH enting roles, and discipline strategies. Black parH ents have the additional burden of teaching their children that racism exists but "it is not to be used as a 'crutch"' (p. 94). Hill challenges feminist scholars' claim that race is an issue for black families, but that genH der is not. She notes that black parents have had to teach their children how to survive. Girls could not adhere to traditional gender norms. Rather, they were taught to work and to support themselves. Hill is disappointed by the dearth of information on parents' strategies to raise black males. This problem is quite disturbing given the racial discrimination they face and the violence they encounter or bring to bear on their own communities. Hill is not averse to asking diffiH cult questions: Do family socialization patterns also disadvantage black male children? Do mothers protect their sons more; and if so, do they do so out of fear for their sons' safety? Or do