The Mother Blame Game

The Mother-Blame Game is an interdisciplinary and intersectional examination of the phenomenon of mother-blame in the twenty-first century. As the socioeconomic and cultural expectations of what constitutes “good motherhood” grow continually narrow and exclusionary, mothers are demonized and stigmatized—perhaps now more than ever—for all that is perceived to go “wrong” in their children’s lives.This anthology brings together creative and scholarly contributions from feminist academics and activists alike to provide a dynamic study of the many varied ways in which mothers are blamed and shamed for their maternal practice. Importantly, it also considers how mothers resist these ideologies by engaging in empowered and feminist mothering practices, as well as by publicly challenging patriarchal discourses of “good motherhood.”

About the Author :
Vanessa Reimer is a PhD candidate in York University’s Graduate Program in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies. She is the co-editor of Mother of Invention: How Our Mothers Influenced us as Feminist Academics and Activists (Reimer and Sahagian 2013). Her research interests include feminist studies in religion, girlhood, and mothering. Sarah Sahagian is a PhD candidate in Gender, Feminist and Women’s studies at York University, where she is currently writing her dissertation on the mothering of inter-ethnic children. Her writing has appeared in such publications as Chasing Rainbows, a popular anthology on gender fluid parenting, as well as The Huffington Post,the pop culture website Comments Enabled and the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative. Sarah also is the co-editor of the Demeter Press book Mother of Invention: How Our Mothers Influenced Us as Feminist Academics and Activists.

Review :
?The Mother-Blame Game brings the issue of societal mother-blaming to the forefront thereby forcing recognition of its prevalence for all mothers, and particularly for mothers who are ?othered? by age, race, class, ability, sexual orientation, physicality or any additional ?othering? factor. What makes this book particularly powerful is that it offers critique but also possibilities for transformation, thus revealing how mother-blame can be reversed and how we as a society can work to create greater acknowledgement and value for all mothers.? ?Melinda Vandenbeld Giles, editor, Mothering in the Age of Neoliberalism ?When two women who are not mothers themselves recognize the phenomenon of mother-blame in our societies enough to edit an entire volume of essays devoted to naming and challenging the concept, then we are making progress. The many provocative essays that Vanessa Reimer and Sarah Sahagian have collected in The Mother-Blame Game take on the shaming of the maternal body ? for being too young or too fat or too willing to breastfeed ? as well as the cultural blaming of mothers, related to child-rearing methods, protectiveness of children, choices around work, and so many more issues. This volume offers an entry point into many important conversations that are waiting to be had.? ?Rachel Epp Buller, author of Reconciling Art and Mothering ?This book offers a unique examination of mother-blaming in the twenty-first century through its interdisciplinary collection of critical discussions, intersectional research, and personal accounts. The chapters have the necessary diversity that a phenomenon as complex as mother-blaming requires. We are presented with progressive approaches to feminist theory and research that are captivating to read because of the attitude of ethnographic authenticity and critical thinking throughout. I found myself becoming increasingly engaged as I was reading it.? ?Helena Vissing, M.S.