Feminist Mothering Essay

Across cultures and populations, child-raising is considered to be one of the most important aspects of life. The beliefs and values that parents teach in their child’s formative years often determine how children will behave and respond to situations as they grow up. Parents who are aware of the potential effects of their child-raising strategies typically attempt to influence the child’s mindset, hoping to mold them into their vision of the world. In this vein, feminists, backed by the ever-expanding movement for gender and sexual equality, have tried to change society by making their children the agents of change. What methods of child-raising do feminists employ, and how do they work to instill the feminist mindset? Feminist mothering is a child-raising strategy which enforces feminist ideology and attempts to teach children to transcend gender roles. As said by former feminist Andrea O’Reilly, feminist mothering entails feminist philosophies, theorizing, and world-view (O’Reilly, 400). As Feminism includes these things, it also has numerous positions and perspectives. The majority of the feminist community, if not all, can recognize that the patriarchal culture favors and awards the masculine and ensures the imbalance between men and women. (O’Reilly, 400) As a result, feminists are challenged with the overbearing power of patriarchy when raising a child. The act of feminist mothering dislocates patriarchal methods of raising children and replaces them with empowerment of children and mothers, in hopes of causing widespread social change and equality (Ross, 61). This mothering …show more content…
Most importantly, in a world so overcome with division and inequality, it is critical that children are taught to respect one another, regardless of any perceived differences. For generations, feminist parents have made their children into agents of social change by fostering a culture of acceptance and