In five pages motherhood issues as they specifically reflect the black community are considered in a discussion of the perspectives on motherhood by black feminists. Six sources are cited in the bibliography.
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Advice abounds on the subject of motherhood and what one guru asserts is essential for a child another guru will remind women of how many years their child will
spend in therapy if they follow that very method. The information is staggering and confusion is the norm. Now, add to this already controversial topic the issue
of feminism. Feminism is an issues which, in and of itself, is mired in controversy. So then, attaching motherhood and feminism together is certainly fodder for instigating a
healthy dose of debate. And yet, too often both the topic of motherhood and the topic of feminism are debated with stereotypes and generalizations. Now, on top of
all of this, add to the mix African American women and what you have is certainly a topic in which innuendo, stereotypes, generalizations, and prejudice abound. Therefore, it is
important to unravel this topic and look beneath these layers to discover the heart of what black feminists truly think and believe about motherhood. Black Feminists Critique of
Motherhood Todays women have been socialized into believing that intensive mothering is not only admirable, but essential to the development of their
child (Eckhaus, 2002). Just look at modern mothers for verification of this. Mothers today are torn between working, shuttling kids from one lesson to the next, getting the
house cleaned and food on the table, and a plethora of other responsibilities (Eckhaus, 2002). History reveals other times when such practices were advised but also reveals periods
when children were regarded in much the opposite manner, such as with the Puritans who feared their infants as little demons and therefore practiced a very different approach to child-rearing