Category: Internships

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Join us in Welcoming MOMs Newest Interns: Teddy Friedline and Sarah Akomoh

Hello MOM Family! We are thrilled to announce our two most recent additions to our amazing team, Teddy Friedline and Sarah Akomoh. Teddy will work closely with our JourMS editor to ensure a high-quality publication representing all the latest in motherhood studies. Sarah will work towards securing grants for our organization to continue our march into the future, securing our place for years to come.

New to MOM this Summer

Teddy L. Friedline (they/them) is a recent graduate of Washington College, where they won the 2022 Sophie Kerr Prize, the largest undergraduate writing prize in the nation. Their creative work, which often focuses on motherhood, can be found in Yes Poetry, streetcake, Burning Jade Magazine, and elsewhere. They are co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of FAIRY PIECE MAG, a literary magazine focused on breaking old rules and creating new ones.

They are especially excited to be working on MOM’s Journal of Mother Studies (JourMS), reviewing both creative and academic work. Teddy also looks forward to promoting JourMS widely through social media and exploring how to better disseminate the incredible contributions of our amazing authors and artists through the digital humanities.

Also Please Welcome

Sarah Akomoh

Sarah Akomoh is currently a first year MA student with a concentration in literature at USF. Her research interests are primarily connected to Black feminism and the dynamics of womanhood for both African and African American women. She is excited to intern at The Museum of Motherhood this summer and can’t wait to learn and give her research skills to the grant writing process.

Through the course of her internship, she commits to using her research skills to learn and then secure general operating support for the Museum of Motherhood through various grant writing initiatives. As part of moving the Museum forward, she will also research local and national grants and come up with a plan to support the finances of the MOM Museum. Membership and loyalty is a key dynamic feature of the MOM Museum. Therefore, Sarah aims to collate past contributors and reach out to our members to appreciate and initiate potential future patronage and sponsorship.

Passionate about topics related to m/otherhood? Reproductive identities? Art? HERstory? Mothers Making Art? Mothers in Academia? Women and Gender Studies? Lifelong students can follow the Museum of Motherhood here, join our new ONLINE COMMUNITY, and we appreciate any and all support? Be sure to follow us on social media and check out our virtual storefront for merchandise!

If you have any inquiries regarding getting involved with MOM or are interested in being part of our Living Board, you can find out information about what being a board member entails under our About tab or clicking the link HERE: Living Museum Annual Volunteers – Join Us! – MUSEUM OF MOTHERHOOD (mommuseum.org)

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Featured Internships Living Board Announcements

Join Us in Welcoming Mom’s Newest Interns: Kasia Nowacki and Mary Noah

We are pleased to welcome Kasia Nowacki as a new team member. Kasia attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and holds her Master’s Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. Kasia’s passion is Leadership Development which she pursues through her work with the Center for Creative Leadership and teaching a Winter Term course, Leadership and Self Discovery Practicum, at Eckerd College. Throughout the last several months with MOM, Kasia has been navigating relationships with local universities with the aim of making the study of m/otherhood more accessible and more widely known. She is also leveraging her expertise in online curriculum content to build out online course content for MOM while acting as the liaison to local schools and universities. 

– Also New to MOM this Summer –

We are pleased to welcome Mary Noah as one of our summer interns. She will be working on a wide range of projects with MOM over the course of the next few months. She is a current undergraduate student in Moorhead, Minnesota, and has strong roots in the midwest. Mary has experience working in and with nonprofits like Hope Blooms (Fargo, ND) and the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation (international). In her free time, she spends time at the lakes in Minnesota, plays beer league hockey during the winter, and loves attending live theatre productions. She is looking forward to working with MOM on a comprehensive social media campaign, podcast creation, and experimenting with some grant writing remotely from Long Island, NY through August.

Passionate about topics related to m/otherhood? Reproductive identities? Art? HERstory? Mothers Making Art? Mothers in Academia? Women and Gender Studies? Lifelong students can follow the Museum of Motherhood here, join our new ONLINE COMMUNITY, and we appreciate any and all support? Be sure to follow us on social media and check out our virtual storefront for merchandise!

If you have any inquiries regarding getting involved with MOM or are interested in being part of our Living Board, you can find out information about what being a board member entails under our About tab or clicking the link HERE: Living Museum Annual Volunteers – Join Us! – MUSEUM OF MOTHERHOOD (mommuseum.org)

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Why MOM, Why Now, Why You?

As April comes to a close and May begins in earnest, many of us are wondering what’s next? What’s next in our world, our lives, our finances, and our families. Spring has sprung but so have droughts, war, recession worries, and post-pandemic (or mid-pandemic) realities. One thing is for sure, we can only focus on the things within our control. That means looking around at your family, your friends, and your neighborhood and leading the way, the best way you can.

For teachers, this may mean balancing changing protocols in classrooms. For some mothers, this has meant spending time with strangers screaming in parking lots. For many, survival is just a day away.

In my experience, lurching forward with faltering footwork, leaves me staggering towards an unknown destination. When I feel like quitting, that often means some kind of relief is in sight. After months of lockdown, the personal management of grief, frustration, and fear, this new turn of the season brings hopeful possibilities.

The MOM Art Annex in Florida has seen signs of unprecedented growth. Perhaps this is because of a growing collective concern by some that basic liberties are under siege: book banning, women’s reproductive health access, and the rights of LGBTQ+, have sent some spinning in the direction of social changes spaces like ours. Or, perhaps it’s the years of hard work by so many that are finally coalescing in real MOMentum?

We presented our proposal to the local Historic Kenwood Association a few weeks ago and followed up with meetings with our councilman Richie Floyd. To that end, his solid advice was “advocacy” is all. So we created an ally document for interested friends to sign. Then, we created a petition [Link] that states MOM deserves her own space in the sun. We have spent months reworking some of our original internal document language to make sure inclusivity is front and center. Several new volunteers have joined us as well as a few part time staff persons. The Journal of Mother Studies will accept submissions through May 2022 and then go into the editorial process. We gratefully welcome Nicole Musselman (USF) as lead editor and are excited to welcome a new intern as an editorial assistant beginning June. This is all awesome stuff.

So, won’t you consider growing with us? Mother’s Day is next week. CLICK ON ANY OF THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO Celebrate a M/other you love by making a donation and putting her name on our Tribute Wall online. Support our fundraiser for the Mother Tree acquisition. Read our letter and sign our Ally form. Consider joining our team. Our Executive Fundraising Board is still seeking new members and we welcome those from all backgrounds and skillsets.

Oh, and yeah – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY ! (Everyday is M/other’s Day). We L<3VE YOU, we love peace, we love our planet, and we’d like to see every human being valued in an equitable and sustainable world. Hang in there. Because we are all connected, because m/otherhood is otherhood, and because if there are more of us spreading light, rather than hate, more of us creating access than obstacles, and more people acting out of respect than entitled aggression – towards each other and our planet- then we just might make it! Let kindness be the currency of our lives.

Martha Joy Rose

Museum Director Martha Joy Rose presenting to the Historic Kenwood Association March 2022

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Things In-between

By Rebecca Louise Clarke

Of course, one day there will be a museum collection about the pandemic. In fact, they’re working on it right now, collecting the pieces of a crisis as it unfolds in the hope that somehow it won’t get lost in the movement of time, that one day we will see ourselves or have ourselves be seen.

But knowing that history involves selection, that some pieces of memory will necessarily be chosen over others and therefore some of us will blow away, I want to show a vision of my life, my family’s life over the last two years. It could be two years, one or three because who knows? It has been a time, in which time has been lost. Each day seems the same and yet things move forward.

These things are my daughter’s/mine/her Dad’s. These moments are my own, enmeshed in the fabric of my family.

I don’t want our memories to be swallowed up by that terrifying giant; the pandemic; our experiences to be defined by a turbulent era of history. The little things that together make up our lives, have been injured, but still, those little things keep breathing. Most of the time they drag themselves, tired and bloody, but now and then, they unleash a triumphant boogie.

Our ginger tomcat died. The neighbour’s house was torn down.  Adult teeth erupted, school started, stopped and started again.  And the things in-between.

Here is my vision. A basket of things from me to you.

Mask
Family
Hieroglyphics


Spoonville
‘Let it go’
Feelings
Breathe
Broken house
Goodbye
Storm
Offerings
Angel

Photographs by Richard Clarke and Rebeca Louise Clarke [Original interview here].

Rebecca Louise Clark

Rebecca Louise Clarke is an author, scholar and media artist who is interested in the ways mothering and memory are depicted in museums. Her book Representations of Mothers and the Maternal in Museums, to be published in early 2023 by Routledge is currently in development and examines the ways mothering is represented in museum collections and exhibitions. During her residency with the Museum of Motherhood (M.O.M.), Rebecca is doing an in-depth case study of M.O.M. Her analysis seeks to discover ways that experiences of mothering as voiced by mothers themselves, can challenge heteronormative, stereotypical ideals about motherhood and how innovative museum practice can disrupt conventional ideals about motherhood.

If you are interested in applying for a guest residency here at MOM, please go to our website HERE: https://bit.ly/3uRgugm  to find out more. BE SURE TO HURRY! Spots have been filling FAST! We hope that future tours of the space will be available soon, but they are by appointment only in Artist Enclave Historic Kenwood: “where art lives.”

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Art Featured Feminism gender home Internships motherhood

Me, We, Women – Online Exhibit Feature

A contemporary gaze into feminist art is both subjective and objective, either from female artists or social collective lenses. Lucy R. Lippard stated in 1980 that feminist art was ‘neither a style nor a movement but instead a value system, a revolutionary strategy, a way of life.” Staring with “ME” (the individual), and “WE” (the community), to “WOMEN” (the entire female as half the population), a sequential contemplation focusing on various perspectives and creativities from female artists worldwide is highlighted. Eleven female artists from different nations and cultural backgrounds bring us the reflection of how contemporary feminist art shapes life and art from diverse angles yet to reach a pluralistic interconnection. This project is a part of the MOM Internship Program with Li Yang.

Trish Morrissey, (born 1967 in Ireland; lives and works in London) graduated in photography at the University of the Arts in London in 2001. Her work mainly relies on photography by simulating a specifically constructed reality, playing on the binary pair: truth/ representation. Trish Morrissey’s photographs become an instrument to criticize and question family unity and its quintessential manifesto, the family portrait that displays similarities, proximities, hierarchies, and inner orders.

”Since 2012 I have been mostly working with archives and collections. I am passionate about stories of women that are often overlooked in history, in favour of male-centered narratives. I am excited by the small details of people and their lives, things that are often universal and ageless. I am drawn to stories of eccentricity and my way of sharing this is to get under the skin of places, and people. I develop and play characters that I hope are authentic and recognisable. They sometimes lie on the border between psychologically disturbing and a little bit funny. I have several projects happening right now, but the biggest one is a survey show opening in Serlachius Museum, Finland in February 2022. This exhibition will includephotographs and films from the last twenty years alongside new work inspired by my studies in the museum’s archive.”Her work is exhibited widely, most recently at Recent exhibitions are Group Shows: ‘Landscape, Portrait: Now and Then’ at Hestercombe Gallery 2021; ‘Who’s Looking at the family now?’ at London Art Fair 2019 and solo show ‘Trish Morrissey: A certain slant of light’ at Francesca Maffeo Gallery, 2018.

SEE OUR GALLERY ONLINE FOR THE FULL EXHIBIT

Her work is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, The National Media Museum, Bradford and the Wilson Centre for Photography, London

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Blog Caregiving Education Featured Feminism gender Internships USF

Out With The Old – In With The New

By Ca Hoang

The pile of work I had felt endless. As soon one was completed, another followed. Letting out a deep sigh, I allowed myself to take a break, to do anything that did not involve staring at the laptop screen for the next hour. I fetched a broom and a dustpan and began sweeping the floor of the shared area in my apartment. It was my new found mode of tending to myself. While looking after my living space, I was also greeted with a sense of calmness that I craved. Almost every time I embark on this simple act of self-care, I am reminded of an incident with my once close friend when we were in middle school. It was our turn that morning to handle class cleaning duties and I remember vividly how the moment I started sweeping, my friend gasped and scolded, “That’s not how you do it!” She grabbed the broom from my hands and continued, “You should at least know how to sweep the floor as a girl!” I was eagerly sweeping dust into the air and surely learned a thing or two about housekeeping from my friend then and there. I used to laugh off her reaction to how inexperienced I was with chores, but lately, I cannot help but think about her latter exclamation. Why must I know how to sweep the floor as a girl?

Recently, I was introduced to Sara Ruddick’s Maternal Thinking. In her book, Ruddick engages the readers in discussions of mothering as a practice informed by maternal thinking and how it relates to politics of peace. One of the many ways in which Maternal Thinking proved significant is that rather than viewing motherhood as an identity, maternal work is proposed to be studied as an experience, which thus de-genders motherwork (O’Reilly, A., 2009). Through the lens of maternal thinking, no longer would caring for a child or taking care of household matters such as sweeping, or ironing clothes be seen as exclusive to women. In an article written before the publication of Maternal Thinking, Ruddick shares that one of the goals she had when developing the concept was to unite mothers and feminists (Ruddick, 1983). Ruddick expresses her beliefs that, in spite of how feminism and motherhood may seem contradicting to some, maternal work can contribute to the feminist perspective, while “feminist transformation of maternal thinking was in the deepest interests of mothers”, which I think has become increasingly evident. Although dated, the concepts introduced by Sara Ruddick then continue to be relevant today.

Learning about maternal thought and how it separates gender from labour has changed my internal dialogue from questioning why certain labour are gendered the way they are, to seeking how the understanding of feminism and motherhood can be transformed. I am only beginning to internalize how gender norms and idealization of motherhood has shaped the environment that I grew up in, but I am glad that Maternal Thinking has provided me at least a starting point. Perhaps maternal thinking can also be applied to the way we mother ourselves, as tending to our personal needs also involves preservation and growth. Nonetheless, I think I can now comfortably sweep the floor or partake any other housekeeping activity without obsessing over how engaging in them would relate to my gender and instead focus on myself as well as the activity in its own right.

Featured Photo by Jan Kopřiva

References

O’Reilly, A. (2009). “I Envision a Future in Which Maternal Thinkers Are Respected and Self-Respecting”: The Legacy of Sara Ruddick’s Maternal Thinking. WSQ: Women’s Studies Quarterly, 37(3–4), 295–298.

Ruddick, S. (1983). Thinking about Mothering—and Putting Maternal Thinking to Use. Women’s Studies Quarterly, 11(4), 4–7.

About

Ca is an international student from Vietnam at the University of South Florida. She is pursuing a dual degree in Statistics and Public Health with aspirations of working in the field of biostatistics in the future. Ca learned about the Museum of Motherhood through the Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice class instructed by Dr. Singh and was inspired by the work the Museum has and continues to engage in. As an intern, she has created blog posts that share activities and perspectives about caregiving, self-care, as well as the lessons we can learn from each activity.

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Education Featured History Internships Spiritual Motherhood

Sharing Native American Traditional Stories

By Carla Ferris

As we approach the winter months, expressing gratitude, a time of Thanksgiving, and other family gatherings, I have been drawn to the traditions of the Chumash Native Americans who share their history and demonstrate celebrations with ancestral ceremonies and stories. This article showcases traditional Native American travels to the Channel Island in California, a Mother Earth story from a Chumash decedent, and Covid-19 precautionary practices.

The Santa Ynez band of Chumash Indians currently reside on the reservation located in Santa Barbara County in California. They have kept their Chumash traditions alive for 100 years. Their cultural heritage achievements include maintaining a connection to ancestral spiritual beliefs. These Native Americans have a festival called *Hutash*, named after the Chumash Earth Goddess.  Since 2001, the Santa Ynez Chumash tribe has made the journey to the California Channel Islands for cultural holiday gatherings. The celebrations have traditional activities such as feasting, dancing, and singing.

 A youtube video and Chumash celebration titled Awakening Ancestral Memories documents amazing finds. This video presents a Chumash Indian decedent Eva who narrates the reconstructed Ancestral Chumash tradition. “A Hundred years ago, The Chumash Indians traveled for trading purposes in a canoe called Tamal. In 2001, the Chumash Indians recreated the tradition with a sea- voyage trip from the North American mainland to Santa Cruz Ca. Island, which is a section of the Channel Islands. Eva took her father’s place as Captain in the year her stepmother passed away. Eva tells us, “My mother’s spirit was with us and gave us the confidence to make this harsh journey.” The ancestral ceremonies begin with Chumash Indians greeting the arriving sea travels with cooked meals. Early in life, Eva was able to step into the shoes of the “Dark water paddlers” which is an honorable position to hold in the Chumash community. These were the crew members who started the Tamal trek in the early morning, 2:00 a.m. from Ventura Ca. harbor. Eva says, “the crew travels the first 21 miles toward the Channel Island, and this early time is so dark for pacing.” In holding a captain’s position, Eva must listen to the other paddler’s breathing and paddling sounds.” Here is the like to their incredible story.

In my ecofeminism research, I reviewed the concept that binds feminist elements with nature. Here I share a Chumash story called the “Rainbow Bridge”, which illuminates the connection with Mother Earth. Julie is an Island descendant who narrates her family history in her great grandfather’s timeline. She begins with “Sahi papa” (Once upon a time), Limu, meaning in the sea. The American Indian family believed, “Mother Earth was there and created Santa Cruz Island that is off the California coast.  Mother Earth gathered plant seeds and spread the seeds in the Earth’s soil. This activity produced the missing people and she gifted them with happiness. Her husband who was known as the milky way (sky snake) gave the people the gift of fire in the form of a lightning bolt. The villagers learned to cook their food on warm fires which helped to expand population growth. Mother Earth decided to have the people move to another location for further growth. She showed the people a rainbow bridge to cross over to a larger land. The people were scared to take this journey over the rainbow bridge. Then, Mother Earth changed the people into Dolphins who reached Carpentaria California.” As Julie concludes, “the American Indian people did thrive in a happy culture. “

The youtube link to the Native American story can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0iyd68oBok.

I identify with the Native American philosophy and send my prayers to the stars. My heart is sent to the Covid community affected by the Californian and Colorado’s wildfire smoke inhalation. During this healing research, I found the Center for Disease Control provides wildfire smoke inhalation protection in the times of Covid-19. They describe the mask usage as limited protection against smoke inhalation. The CDC suggests limiting outdoor exercise during a smoky wildfire event. They promote cleaner airspace at home to protect from smoke damage to the lungs.  They place emphasis on social distancing when evacuations are required. Here is the link. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/wildfire_smoke_covid-19.html   

As a Public History student, I had the pleasure to research Native American holiday traditions and cultural stories. I appreciate the Santa Ynez Chumash Indians for sharing their extensive background and spiritual beliefs.  I felt an inspirational element from the research about the ancestral spirituality in the connection to the Chumash heritage. I believe both the Awakening Ancestral Memories and the Rainbow Bridge illustrations are cultural identity markers that will be passed on to future Native American generations. I accept the wildfire smoke inhalation research at the CDC as well as their guidance for safety practices. I believe the stars heard a prayer as the American Public University’s Anthropology club sent me a Covid-19 mask. I have treasured these Native American oral traditions. I will sincerely carry these faith concepts on into the Museum of Motherhood community.

Bibliography

Awakening Ancestral Memories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pztFcjzIRu4&feature=emb_logo 

Center for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/wildfire_smoke_covid-19.html    

How the Native American Indians came to Carpentaria Ca. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0iyd68oBok

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Blog Education health Internships Sociology USF

On Taking Short Walks

By Ca Hoang

Today I woke up already overwhelmed by the things I had to do for the coming week. I felt horrible, and it was only 9 in the morning. After a while of staring at the items on my desk and occasionally glancing out the window, I decided to go for a walk. A change of atmosphere, I thought, would allow me to set aside my concerns for a moment and just be present. That was when I decided to dress up as I would on a pre-pandemic normal day and head out for a short walk around my apartment complex. I circled around the block twice, initially unsure if this would be helpful. My mind circled a bit thinking about my responsibilities, but as I strolled past the trees and the grass, I could not help but notice how they have grown old from the last time I saw them.  I started to observe my surroundings. As I took in the fresh air, I watched a squirrel jump onto a brick wall and swiftly make its way up. There were flowers I have never seen before and clovers that I never realized were around. There were a few people walking their dogs, but I was the only individual, perhaps somewhat suspiciously, lurking around. Recognizing these little things brought about an odd sense of tranquillity, but it also made me curious about whether others were experiencing walking in a similar manner as I did?

A study (Robinette et al., 2017) found that recreational walking and environmental attributes were closely related to socioeconomic status (SES) areas, that is low SES areas often had disadvantaged attributes with regards to neighborhood aesthetics, safety, and traffic to name a few. These factors in turn affect how people living in such areas engaged in walking as a leisure activity, which is expectedly less than in higher SES areas. The findings were not particularly surprising, but it made me aware once again that more needs to be done to address the SES gap. The difference in how recreational walking is perceived and experienced is yet one of the many fronts in which varying SES levels materializes in terms of health. Another study (Sugiyama et al., 2015) examined how neighborhood SES is associated with health outcomes. Generally, the researchers found that residents of higher SES residential areas suffered from fewer health problems than those living in lower-income areas. The intersection between the area that we live in and our health outcome is evident, but not always obvious.

As a public health student, I had the chance to learn more about health disparities in the United States, and that the discussion of health disparities is never complete without the mention of our zip codes. Yet, I was not expecting to connect what I have learned in my college courses to the simple act of self-care that I chose for myself today. Although the scenery I am surrounded with is not exceptional, it is more than enough to allow me to immerse myself in a temporary departure from the worries I have bundled up. My short walk felt safe and serene. I cannot say this would have been the case if I had taken a walk beyond the gates of my apartment complex. It would take implementing changes at a policy level to be able to provide a more conducive environment for everyone to comfortably engage in activities that not only support their physical but also their mental health. Just for today, I think it is worth being aware that such disparities exist so we can all participate in conversations that discuss how we might possibly help narrow health gap disparities in society.

References

Robinette, J., Charles, S., & Gruenewald, T. (2017). Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Health: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Community Health, 42(5), 865–871. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/10.1007/s10900-017-0327-6

Sugiyama, T., Howard, N., Paquet, C., Coffee, N., Taylor, A., & Daniel, M. (2015). Do Relationships Between Environmental Attributes and Recreational Walking Vary According to Area-Level Socioeconomic Status? Journal of Urban Health, 92(2), 253–264. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/10.1007/s11524-014-9932-1

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Mothering Myself – Perspectives On Exercise

By Ca Hoang

Ever since the beginning of summer, my roommates and I have committed to working out at least twice every week. On weekends, we push the living room tables aside, connect our laptop to the TV, and follow the home workout videos on YouTube. The initial dread of regularly drowning in sweat and enduring physical pain soon disperses and is replaced by the joy of engaging our muscles and building our stamina while occasionally laughing at each other’s random comments. I feel grateful that we are continuing this ritual despite the increasing workload we have as students with the semester underway. Exercising together has not only helped keep us active while cooped up at home but also gives us time to focus on ourselves: our bodies, our preferences, our limits. Here at MOM, I am hoping to reflect on some of the ways in which I mother myself as I continue to explore topics in my reproductive justice class with Holly Singh at USF. [My bio link for the museum internship program is here].

Yet, for many expecting mothers as well as mothers who have recently given birth, engaging in physical activity has become their “third shift”. A concept developed by Dworkin and Wachs (2004), the “third shift” refers to how mothers, besides their first working shift and second shift of tending to household matters and childcare, are also socially coerced into participating in fitness regimens in order to “erase physical evidence of motherhood” Mallox, DeLuca, and Bustad (2020). Through thematic analysis, the authors studied the causes and ways in which mothers engage in this cultural phenomenon. They determined five categories that identify mothers within this “third shift’, namely Marathon Moms, Family Fitness Focused Moms, Gym Goer Moms, Custom Coached Moms, and Internet Inspired Moms. The study notes how the media and consumer products have been tailored to pressure mothers to “regain control over their body” and examines the ways in which women’s bodies, post-birth, are conflated with “individual responsibility and moral fortitude”. Both studies also underline how socioeconomic status is entwined with these unrealistic expectations, as not all mothers are able to afford the resources needed to engage in the “third shift bodywork”.

Putting the findings into perspective, I cannot help but feel enraged by postpartum aesthetic ideals that are perpetuated by businesses to profit off of mothers’, and the ways in which they prevail. Rather than being able to prioritize individual well-being with potential health concerns, mothers are subjected to unnecessary and often impractical expectations of having a “good” body by society’s standards. Perhaps unknowingly, my friends and I are also influenced by societal expectations of how our bodies should look when we engage in our workouts as well as in our daily lives. In addition to that, the study prompted me to contemplate how physical activity is dictated by our socioeconomic status. My friends and I do not have the means to afford a personal trainer or special exercising equipment, but we at least have the luxury of space, time, and ability to engage in regular physical activity. This is a clear indication of the health disparities present in our society and yet, the shape of our body is still believed to be determined by how much control we have over ourselves and how responsible we are as individuals. As I enter the next workout session with my roommates, I will keep this in mind: as much as fitness should be promoted, it should never be a measure of one’s character.

Photo credit: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

References

Maddox, C.B., DeLuca, J.R. and Bustad, J.J. (2020), Working a Third Shift: Physical Activity and Embodied Motherhood. Sociological Inquiry, 90(3) 603-624. https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12297

Shari L. Dworkin, & Faye Linda Wachs. (2004). “Getting Your Body Back”: Postindustrial Fit Motherhood in Shape Fit Pregnancy Magazine. Gender and Society, 18(5), 610-624. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4149421

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Blog Books Education Featured Feminism gender History Internships

WITCHES, MIDWIVES AND NURSES

By, Srilagna Majumdar

In America, the month of October is the month of witches – the evil, the cruel, and the ugly. The Museum of Motherhood has hundreds of books in its collection, intended to educate, elucidate, and empower. How have women been targeted as witches throughout history, since the middle ages and what can we learn? Let’s look at how Barbara Ehrenreich sheds light upon this subject in her book “Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A history of women healers “ :

The age of witch-hunting spanned more than four centuries in its sweep from Germany to England. Witches represented a political, religious, and sexual threat to the Churches, as well as to the State. In the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, there were thousands of executions- usually burnings at the stake- in Germany, Italy, and other countries- an average of 600 a year for certain German cities. The witch hunts represented a deep-seated social phenomenon that goes far beyond the history of medicine. The most virulent witch hunts were associated with periods of great social upheaval shaking feudalism at its roots- mass peasant uprisings and conspiracies, the beginning of capitalism, and the rise of Protestantism. In some areas, witchcraft represented a female lead peasant rebellion. Unfortunately, the witch herself- poor and illiterate- did not leave us her story. It was recorded, like all history, by the educated elite so that today we know the which only through the eyes of her persecutors. 

While one theory suggests that witch-craze was an epidemic of mass hatred and panic, another interpretation holds that witches themselves were insane. But, in fact, the witch-crazes were neither a lynching party nor a mass suicide by hysterical women. The witch-hunts were well-organized campaigns, initiated, financed and executed by Church and State. Anyone failing to report a witch faced both communication and a long list of temporal punishments.

Who were the witches, then, and what were their “crimes” that arouse such vicious upper-class suppression? First, witches are accused of every conceivable sexual crime against men. Second, they are accused of being organized. Third, they are accused of having magical powers affecting health- of harming, but also of healing. Witch-healers were often the only general medical practitioners for people who had no doctors and no hospitals and who were bitterly affected by poverty and disease. But witch-hunters Kramer and Sprenger had to write, “ No one does more harm to a Church than midwives”. Male upper-class healing under the auspices of the Church was acceptable, female healing as a part of a peasant subculture was not (Pages 7,8,10,14).

The witch healers methods posed a great threat to the Church, since the witch relied on her senses, and on trial and error, cause and effect. She didn’t need any faith or doctrine- this hit the dogma of the Church very hard. This scared the orthodox authoritative Church and compelled them to curb the potential of these women. So, now you know why some regressive and mean minds refer to intelligent, brave, and proud women as “witches” every now and then, even today!

Srilagna Majumdar, India
Included in the MOM Art Annex Library