IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/gender/v25y2018i1p77-90.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Breastfeeding Bodies: Intimacies at Work

Author

Listed:
  • Robyn Lee

Abstract

This paper will combine a review of literature on breastfeeding and work with an examination of feminist theory and theories of embodiment. Difficulties accommodating breastfeeding in contemporary workplaces result from problems with how bodies and intimacies are understood. The concept of corporeal generosity is useful in theorizing the intimate relationship involved in breastfeeding. However, it is also essential to recognize that the labour involved in this embodied, relational practice goes largely unvalued. Women's long association with giving has led to the devaluing of reproductive labour and care work. Reconceptualizing work by rethinking the division between productive and reproductive labour is necessary to allow more space for bodies and intimacies.

Suggested Citation

  • Robyn Lee, 2018. "Breastfeeding Bodies: Intimacies at Work," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 77-90, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:25:y:2018:i:1:p:77-90
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12170
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12170
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/gwao.12170?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rasmussen, K.M. & Geraghty, S.R., 2011. "The quiet revolution: Breastfeeding transformed with the use of breast pumps," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(8), pages 1356-1359.
    2. Baker, Michael & Milligan, Kevin, 2008. "Maternal employment, breastfeeding, and health: Evidence from maternity leave mandates," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 871-887, July.
    3. Julie Smith & Lindy Ingham, 2005. "Mothers' Milk And Measures Of Economic Output," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 41-62.
    4. Swanson, Kara W., 2011. "Body Banks: A History of Milk Banks, Blood Banks, and Sperm Banks in the United States," Enterprise & Society, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(4), pages 749-760, December.
    5. Burns, E. & Schmied, V. & Fenwick, J. & Sheehan, A., 2012. "Liquid gold from the milk bar: Constructions of breastmilk and breastfeeding women in the language and practices of midwives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(10), pages 1737-1745.
    6. Gatrell, Caroline Jane, 2007. "Secrets and lies: Breastfeeding and professional paid work," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 393-404, July.
    7. Dykes, Fiona, 2005. "'Supply' and 'demand': breastfeeding as labour," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 2283-2293, May.
    8. Ryan, Kath & Bissell, Paul & Alexander, Jo, 2010. "Moral work in women's narratives of breastfeeding," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 951-958, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eunjung Koo, 2021. "A Pluralistic insight on care value: Exuding from sharing gift of unpaid work at home," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1413-1425, July.
    2. Ashlee Borgkvist & Vivienne Moore & Shona Crabb & Jaklin Eliott, 2021. "Critical considerations of workplace flexibility “for all” and gendered outcomes: Men being flexible about their flexibility," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 2076-2090, November.
    3. Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi & Amy Holmes, 2023. "Paternal Leave Entitlement and Workplace Culture: A Key Challenge to Paternal Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Bianca Stumbitz & Ameeta Jaga, 2020. "A Southern encounter: Maternal body work and low‐income mothers in South Africa," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 1485-1500, November.
    5. Ayesha Masood & Muhammad Azfar Nisar, 2020. "Crushed between two stones: Competing institutional logics in the implementation of maternity leave policies in Pakistan," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 1103-1126, November.
    6. Emma Banister & Ben Kerrane, 2024. "Glimpses of change? UK fathers navigating work and care within the context of Shared Parental Leave," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1214-1229, July.
    7. M. Winter, 2023. "Carrie's first academic conference—On the possibilities of feminist storytelling and fiction in management," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2119-2129, November.
    8. Belinda Steffan & Wendy Loretto, 2025. "Menopause, work and mid‐life: Challenging the ideal worker stereotype," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 116-131, January.
    9. Elaine Burns & Susanne Gannon & Heather Pierce & Sky Hugman, 2022. "Corporeal generosity: Breastfeeding bodies and female‐dominated workplaces," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 778-799, May.
    10. Carol Atkinson & Fiona Carmichael & Jo Duberley, 2021. "The Menopause Taboo at Work: Examining Women’s Embodied Experiences of Menopause in the UK Police Service," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 35(4), pages 657-676, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Braimoh, Jessica & Davies, Lorraine, 2014. "When ‘breast’ is no longer ‘best’: Post-partum constructions of infant-feeding in the hospital," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 82-89.
    2. Miki Kobayashi & Emiko Usui, 2017. "Breastfeeding practices and parental employment in Japan," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 579-596, June.
    3. Sunna Símonardóttir, 2016. "Getting the Green Light: Experiences of Icelandic Mothers Struggling with Breastfeeding," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 21(4), pages 82-94, November.
    4. Leiter, Valerie & Agiliga, Alexis & Kennedy, Evangeline & Mecham, Emma, 2022. "Pay at the pump?: Problems with electric breast pumps," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    5. Chuard, Caroline, 2020. "Womb at work: The missing impact of maternal employment on newborn health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Ginja, Rita & Jans, Jenny & Karimi, Arizo, 2017. "Parental Investments in Early Life and Child Outcomes. Evidence from Swedish Parental Leave Rules," Working Papers in Economics 17/17, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    7. Rasmussen, Astrid Würtz, 2010. "Increasing the length of parents' birth-related leave: The effect on children's long-term educational outcomes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 91-100, January.
    8. Maya Rossin‐Slater & Christopher J. Ruhm & Jane Waldfogel, 2013. "The Effects of California's Paid Family Leave Program on Mothers’ Leave‐Taking and Subsequent Labor Market Outcomes," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 224-245, March.
    9. Alzbeta Mangarella, 2016. "Mind the employment gap: an impact evaluation of the Czech “multi-speed” parental benefit reform," Working Papers hal-04141578, HAL.
    10. Shelly Lundberg & Aloysius Siow, 2017. "Canadian contributions to family economics," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(5), pages 1304-1323, December.
    11. Huebener, Mathias & Kuehnle, Daniel & Spiess, C. Katharina, 2019. "Parental leave policies and socio-economic gaps in child development: Evidence from a substantial benefit reform using administrative data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    12. Andra Hiriscau, 2024. "The Effect of Paid Maternity Leave on Fertility and Mothers’ Labor Force Participation," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 350-384, September.
    13. Emla Fitzsimons & Marcos Vera-Hernandez, 2013. "Food for Thought? Breastfeeding and Child Development," IFS Working Papers W13/31, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    14. Palmquist, Aunchalee E.L. & Doehler, Kirsten, 2014. "Contextualizing online human milk sharing: Structural factors and lactation disparity among middle income women in the U.S," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 140-147.
    15. Guertzgen, Nicole & Hank, Karsten, 2014. "Maternity leave and mothers' long-term sickness absence: Evidence from Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-109, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    16. Würtz, Astrid, 2007. "The Long-Term Effect on Children of Increasing the Length of Parents' Birth-Related Leave," Working Papers 07-11, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Economics.
    17. Héctor Alberto Botello-Penaloza & Isaac Guerrero-Rincón, 2019. "Las leyes de licencia de maternidad y el mercado laboral en Colombia," Revista Economía y Región, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, vol. 13(1), pages 67-86, June.
    18. Caroline Wilson & Catherine Cook, 2018. "Ambiguous loss and post‐traumatic growth: Experiences of mothers whose school‐aged children were born extremely prematurely," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(7-8), pages 1627-1639, April.
    19. Del Bono, Emilia & Ermisch, John, 2009. "Birth weight and the dynamics of early cognitive and behavioural development," ISER Working Paper Series 2009-16, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    20. Salvanes, Kjell G & Carneiro, Pedro & Løken, Katrine, 2010. "A flying start? Long term consequences of maternal time investments in children during their first year of life," CEPR Discussion Papers 8124, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:25:y:2018:i:1:p:77-90. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0968-6673 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.