Tainted Milk: Breastmilk, Feminisms, and the Politics of Environmental DegradationTainted Milk provides an in-depth analysis of the debate about infant nourishment issues, with a particular focus on environmentally contaminated breastmilk. Maia Boswell-Penc asks why feminists and environmentalists have, for the most part, remained relatively quiet about the fact that environmental toxins have been appearing in breastmilk. She argues that feminists avoid the topic because of their fear of focusing on biological mothering and essentialist thinking, while environmentalists are reluctant to be perceived as fearmongers advocating formula use and contributing to public hysteria. Boswell-Penc also points to the continuing racism, classism, ageism, and corporatization that leaves the less privileged among us more vulnerable. |
Contents
1 | |
HISTORICAL VIGNETTES | 17 |
THE GROWING AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTALLYCONTAMINATED BREASTMILK IN THE CONTEXT OFMUCHNEEDED BREASTF... | 61 |
THE CURIOUS OMISSIONS OF BREASTFEEDING AND BREASTMILK CONTAMINATIONAS SIGNIFICANT FEMINIST ISSUES | 99 |
4 POLLUTING THE WATERSOF THE MOST VULNERABLEENVIRONMENTAL RACISM ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICEAND BREASTMILK ... | 137 |
A NEED FOR MORE ATTENTIONAND MORE CAREFUL ATTENTIONTO BREASTMILK TOXICITY | 167 |
NOTES | 177 |
APPENDIX A | 185 |
Other editions - View all
Tainted Milk: Breastmilk, Feminisms, and the Politics of Environmental ... Maia Boswell-Penc No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
Action addition advocates allow American appeared approach associated attention awareness babies become began beginning benefits bodies breast breastfeeding breastmilk breastmilk contamination bring called cancer changes chemicals child choice claims color concerns consider contamination of breastmilk continue countries cultural developing discussions disease early effects environment environmental contamination environmental justice example exposure fact farmworkers fear feeding feminist fish formula groups higher human impact important industry infant infant feeding involves issue lack less levels living look marketing milk mothers Native notes nursing offers organic percent period pesticides play points policies pollutants population position practices problems production promote protect published question rates reminds response result risk role Sandra Steingraber significant situation social story studies subjected suggests tend tested tion toxic United various wet nurses women workers York