Matricentric Feminism

This book argues that the category of mother is distinct from the category of woman and that many of the problems mothers face —socially, economically, politically, culturally, and psychologically — are specific to women’s work and identity as mothers. Indeed, mothers, arguably more so than women in general, remain disempowered despite forty years of feminism. Mothers, thus, need a feminism of their own, one that positions mothers’ concerns as the starting point for a theory and politic of empowerment. O’Reilly terms this new mode of feminism “matricentic feminism,” and the book explores how it is represented and experienced in theory, activism, and practice. The chapter on maternal theory examines the central theoretical concepts of maternal scholarship to include Adrienne Rich’s distinction between mothering and motherhood, Sara Ruddick’s model of maternal thinking and practice and Patricia Hill Collins’ concept of other mothering, while the chapter on activism considers the twenty-first century motherhood movement. Feminist mothering is likewise examined as the specific practice of matricentric feminism and this chapter discusses various theories and strategies on and for maternal empowerment. Matricentric feminism is also examined in relation to the larger field of Feminist Theory and Women’s Studies. See on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miep_ohkzEY