Mammalian motherhood? Conceptions about science and nature in a motherhood-oriented social network

• Main Authors: Fernanda Vecchi Alzuguir, Marina Fischer Nucci
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Londrina 2015-06-01
• Series: Mediações: Revista de Ciências Sociais
• Subjects: maternidade; gênero; parto; amamentação.
• Online Access: http://www.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/mediacoes/article/view/21114

Assisted by gender and science studies, especially by Londa Schiebinger’s works, we aim to reflect upon the notions of nature and scientific evidences which emerge around giving birth and reastfeeding, based on the case study of a blog targeted by mothers who identify themselves as “mammalians”. We noticed that the analyzed narratives support themselves in scientific evidences in order to legitimate the ideal of humanization and the notion that women are an extension of nature. Paradoxically, the narratives show that the advocacy of childbirth humanization and breastfeeding is grounded in a biological determinism, which effects towards the perpetuation of unequal gender relations have been pointed out by feminist studies for decades. We have questioned the notion of nature, as portrayed in “mammalian networks”, to untie biologizing knots and expose the political power of activism in motherhood-oriented websites.