Beyond Health, Beyond Choice: Breastfeeding Constraints and Realities

Beyond Health, Beyond Choice: Breastfeeding Constraints and Realities
ISBN-10
0813553164
ISBN-13
9780813553160
Category
Medical
Pages
357
Language
English
Published
2012-08-15
Publisher
Rutgers University Press
Authors
Paige Hall Smith, Bernice Hausman, Miriam Labbok

Description

Current public health promotion of breastfeeding relies heavily on health messaging and individual behavior change. Women are told that “breast is best” but too little serious attention is given to addressing the many social, economic, and political factors that combine to limit women’s real choice to breastfeed beyond a few days or weeks. The result: women’s, infants’, and public health interests are undermined. Beyond Health, Beyond Choice examines how feminist perspectives can inform public health support for breastfeeding. Written by authors from diverse disciplines, perspectives, and countries, this collection of essays is arranged thematically and considers breastfeeding in relation to public health and health care; work and family; embodiment (specifically breastfeeding in public); economic and ethnic factors; guilt; violence; and commercialization. By examining women’s experiences and bringing feminist insights to bear on a public issue, the editors attempt to reframe the discussion to better inform public health approaches and political action. Doing so can help us recognize the value of breastfeeding for the public’s health and the important productive and reproductive contributions women make to the world.

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