Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (JMI - York University)
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Interrogating the Language of Diversity in Academe: Mothering and Parenting in View
Get PDFIn this article, we are interested in the ways in which one of the major obstacles to maternal empowerment and gender equity in academe - hetero-patriarchal sexism - is manifested through language. The official language of an institution holds within it the underlying logic of that same organization, and the official language and rhetoric of academe tend to be very revealing. In much of North America, the ideological blueprint underlying academic discourse on curriculum, hiring, and promotion, has been Eurocentric, male-centred, and heterosexist. Given the origins and genealogies of universities, none of these things should come as a surprise; it is their persistence, however, that we seek to trouble in this article. How do such structures of normativity continue to manifest themselves today? How have attempts to reroute, rewrite, and undermine normativity been contained or subsumed by academic institutions? By reading questions of racialization and gendering to inquire into hiring practices, spousal appointment policies, and teaching evaluation policies, we look to the broad politics of academic institutions in order to suggest that there remains much work to be done to dismantle hetero-patriarchal sexism in academe
Poetry as Memoir: Toi Derricotte’s Natural Birth and Redefining Motherhood
No full textToi Derricotte’s <em>Natural Birth</em> (1983) is a powerful narrative poem hybrid that encapsulates the experience of her pregnancy and the birth of her son, who is almost grown when she finally writes the story. Scholars may not immediately think of this work as a motherhood memoir because of its genre, but it is just that. The fact that it is poetry does not take away from its validity as motherhood memoir, and, in fact, the ambiguity of the pain and beauty of this birth is better served through her lyrical narrative. Birth shares a story with its audience, which enlarges the universality of the experience of motherhood while bringing African feminist principles to the table. This work explores both adaptation (and redefinition) and networking (through collectivism and othermothering) as potential sites for power.Even more than the call for collectivism, this narrative poem is engaged in the work of redefining motherhood. Although the institution of motherhood sometimes oppresses women, it is still true that women have experienced and enacted positive change through mothering outside of the institution—either by choice or necessity. Mothering is hard no matter the circumstances. Derricotte must overcome many obstacles related to her subject position of a poor, Black mother, who often makes choices and shares truths that fall outside of the accepted mainstream logic for “good” parenting. In her honest portrayal, in her ambivalence, anger and fierce love, she has created new models for every mother
“It’s a Choice”: Graduate Student Mothers’ Sense of Agency in Decision-Making
No full textAlthough a growing number of research universities have formal student-parentpolicies, many do not. Graduate student mothers attending institutions withoutstudent-parent policies must make decisions and exercise agency within this context.This work explores the sense of agency and decision making of ten graduate studentmothers raising young children (under the age of five) while attending a researchuniversity without official student-parent policies. The findings demonstrate thatwomen attempt to exercise their sense of agency by separating motherhood fromschool and by negotiating individual solutions to conflicts. Findings also indicatethat the choices and agency exercised provide power in a temporary capacity butdo not provide long-term power or control over schooling and family life. Overall,this research highlights the importance of formal policies and support for studentmothers; without these policies, women’s agency and their ability to participate fullyin graduate school are limited