Mothering in the Age of Neoliberalism, recently published by Demeter Press, asserts that neoliberal policies and austerity measures have unequivocally altered the landscape of women’s lives globally.
The book states that the most detrimental effect has been on mothers as they are faced with increasing responsibility and decreasing resources. Despite mothers being the primary producers, consumers and reproducers of the neoliberal world, their centrality has been largely silenced within economic discourse.
Mothering in the Age of Neoliberalism calls for a new economic framework to counter the individualized neoliberal model, one in which the needs of mothers and children are prioritized.
It states that by identifying the sources of neoliberal failure toward mothers, an alternative paradigm in which mothers’ voices are no longer rendered invisible, but rather predominate in the global landscape, can be formulated.
“Mothering in the Age of Neoliberalism represents a significant contribution to scholars and researchers studying neoliberalism (by focusing attention on mothers who are often left out of the discourse) and gender/mothering (by emphasizing the importance of the political culture/structure to our micro expressions of identity). This volume offers a novel and much needed approach to the study of mothering and the role of public policy. This is not only timely, but well executed,” says Sarah Jane Glynn, associate director, women’s economic policy, Center for American Progress.
The book is edited by Melinda Vandenbeld Giles, a mother, feminist activist and PhD candidate in socio-cultural anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her research involves working with mothers who are living with their children in Ontario motel rooms.
Demeter Press is an independent feminist press committed to publishing peer-reviewed scholarly work, fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction by and about mothers, mothering and family issues. It is the publishing arm of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, founded and directed by York women’s studies Professor Andrea O’Reilly.