Breasts Across Motherhood: Lived Experiences and Critcal Examinations

Download or read book Breasts Across Motherhood: Lived Experiences and Critcal Examinations written by Patricia Drew and published by Demeter Press. This book was released on 2020-03-01 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breasts are integral to mothers' bodies; over the life course, they can swell, droop, be judged, be aroused, lactate, be altered, be removed. A woman's own breasts may be foremost in her mind during some life events, only to recede into the background at other times. Breasts are complex; they are enveloped by larger cultural meanings that go far beyond their mammary gland function, and we cannot fully understand breasts without examining the myriad discourses surrounding them. Social policies, cultural norms, and interpersonal interactions all help construct localized breast discourses which, in turn, shape mothers' breast experiences. Through examining commonalities and differences over the lifespan, we can see that women's breast experiences inform us about the social conditions in which women live their lives.