Bearing the weight of the world Exploring Maternal Embodiment

Download or read book Bearing the weight of the world Exploring Maternal Embodiment written by Alys Einion and published by Demeter Press. This book was released on 2018-10-01 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The maternal body is a site of contested dynamics of power, identity, experience, autonomy, occupation, and control. Representations of the maternal body can mis/represent the childbearing and mothering form variously, often as monstrous, idealized, limited, scrutinized, or occupied, whilst dominant discourses limit motherhood through social devaluation. The maternal body has long been a hypervisible artifact: at once bracketed out in the interest of elevating the contributions of sperm-carriers or fetal status; and regarded with hostility and suspicion as out of control. Such arguments are deployed to justify surveillance mechanisms, medical scrutiny, and expectation of self-discipline.