An Autoethnography of African American Motherhood
(Writing Lives: Ethnographic Narratives) 1st Edition
by Renata Harden Ferdinand (Author)
This
is the first full-length explicitly identified autoethnographic text on
African American motherhood. It shows the lived experiences of Black
motherhood, when mothering is shaped by race, gender and class, and
mothers must navigate not only their own, but also their children's
positions in society.
Ferdinand takes an intimate look at her
mothering strategies spanning ten years (from 2007-2017), preparing her
daughter to traverse a racist and sexist society. It is a
multi-generational text that blends the author’s experience with that of
her own mother, grandmother, and her daughter, to engage in a larger
discussion of African American/Black mother/womanhood. It is grounded
within Black Feminist Theory, which centers the experiences of Black
women within the domains of intersecting oppressions. It is from a very
personal position that Ferdinand provides a glimpse into the minutiae of
mothering that reveal the everyday intricacies of Black women as
mothers. It highlights specific strategies Black mothers use to combat
discrimination and oppression, from teaching their children about the
n-word to choosing positive representations of Black identity in movies,
books, dolls, daycares, elementary schools, and even extra-curricular
activities. It shows the impact that stereotypical manifestations of
Black femininity have on Black women’s experience of motherhood, and how
this affects Black women and girls understanding of themselves,
especially their skin color, body shape, and hair texture.
As an
interdisciplinary text, this book will be reading for academics and
students in a broad range of fields, including Education, African
American Studies, Communication Studies, Women Studies, Psychology and
Health Studies. It is also a handbook of lived experience for Black
mothers, grandmothers, and daughters, and for all mothers, grandmothers
and daughters irrespective of color.
Details:
Year: 2022
Pages: 164
Language: English
Format: PDF
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN-10: 036742231X, 0367422298
ISBN-13: 978-0367422318, 978-0367422295, 9780367422318, 9780367422295
ASIN: B09HJNBCFT
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