Breastwork: breastfeeding bodies in postmodernity

Researcher: Dr Alison Bartlett

Breastfeeding occupies something of a unique and anxious position in contemporary culture, as an inherently anarchic corporeal activity in a culture driven by control and autonomy, and a highly unpredictable impulse in a world of schedules and routine. This study seeks to undo some of the complex meanings and histories of breastfeeding as they revolve around women’s bodies, the politics of sexuality, and the gendered use of public and private space in postmodern city spaces. The study brings a critical perspective to the narratives that shape breastfeeding discourses at the turn of the century as they are reported in the media and medical texts, idealised in images and iconography, ignored in the workplace and yet posited as a woman’s ‘choice’ by advocates and public health policy alike.

A monograph resulting from this study has been published as Breastwork: Rethinking Breastfeeding (UNSW Press 2005). It brings a new and overdue cultural and feminist analysis to breastfeeding as it is practiced, reported, policed, resisted, represented, promoted, raced, gendered, and personally experienced in Australia at the turn of the 21st century.

Outcomes

Bartlett, A. and R. Shaw, eds. Giving Breast Milk. Toronto: Demeter Press. forthcoming 2010

Bartlett, A. Breastwork: Rethinking Breastfeeding. Sydney: UNSW Press 2005

Bartlett, A. & F. Giles, eds. Australian Feminist Studies thematic issue, 19.45 (2004).

Chapters

Bartlett, A. ‘Scandalous practices and political performances: breastfeeding in the city’ Mothering: Power/Oppression, Ed. Marie Porter, Patricia Short, Andrea O’Reilly. Toronto: Women’s Press. 2005. 57-73.

Bartlett, A. ‘Thinking through Breasts’ Fresh milk: the secret life of breasts, by Fiona Giles. Sydney: Allen & Unwin/New York: Simon & Schuster. 2003. 151-61.

Refereed Articles

Bartlett, A. ‘Maternal Sexuality and Breastfeeding’ Sex Education 5,1 (2005):1-11.

Bartlett, A. ‘Scripts & Meanings for Breastfeeding in Popular Culture.’ Birth Issues 14.1 (2005): 7-12.

Bartlett, A. ‘Black Breasts, White Milk? Ways of representing breastfeeding and race in Australia.’ Australian Feminist Studies 19.45 (2004): 341-55.

Bartlett, A. ‘Breastfeeding bodies and choice in late capitalism.’ Hecate 29.2 (2003): 153-165.

Bartlett, A. ‘Stillen als Kopf-Arbeit.’ Trans. Babette Müller-Rockstroh Hebammen Zeitschrift 4(2003): 47-52.

Bartlett, A. ‘Breastfeeding as Headwork: corporeal feminism and meanings for breastfeeding’ Women’s Studies International Forum 25,3 (2002): 373-82.

Bartlett, A. ‘Public practices and political performances: breastfeeding in the city’ Continuum: journal of media and culture 16.1(2002): 111-21.

Bartlett, A. ‘Thinking through breasts: writing maternity’ Feminist Theory 1,2 (2000): 173-188.

Commissioned work

Bartlett, A. 'Breast of Both Worlds' Sydney's Child. Dec/Jan 2005/6: 29; Melbourne's Child Dec/Jan 2005/6: 34-35.

Bartlett, A. 'Reasons to Breastfeed' Best Australian Poems 2005, ed. Les Murray. Melbourne, Black Inc.

Bartlett, A. ‘From here to maternity’ Campus Review Mar 7-13 (2001): 11.

Other work

Bartlett, A. ‘Tea Parties and Breast Biscuits: thinking about weaning.’ Mother's Milk installation, by Jena Sibille, Eyedrum Small Gallery, Atlanta USA 3-24 Apr 2004.

Bartlett, A. ‘Taking Our Breasts to Work’ with Fiona Giles. Introduction to Australian Feminist Studies 19.45 (2004). 269-71.

Conference presentations

Bartlett, A. ‘Corporeal Feminism and its Uses.’ Generations of Australian Feminisms, Adelaide 2005.

Bartlett, A. ‘Scripts and meanings for breastfeeding in popular culture’ Australian Women’s Studies Association conference, Women’s College U. Sydney 2004.

Bartlett, A. 'Reading Rachel’s Breasts: Scripts & meanings of breastfeeding (with a little help from Friends).’ Cultural Studies Assn of Australia conf. Murdoch 2004.

Bartlett, A. ‘Reinventing the Madonna: iconising breastfeeding in the visual arts’ 7th Int. Conference Centre for Research on Mothering, York University, Toronto 2003.

Bartlett, A. ‘White Milk, Black Breasts; racialising breastfeeding in Australia’ Spilling the Milk: Cultural Studies Approaches to Breastfeeding conf. U. Sydney 2003.

Bartlett, A. ‘Breast Practice: feminism & breastfeeding in late capitalism’ Other Feminisms Int. conference of the Australian Women’s Studies Assn, UQ 2003.

Bartlett, A. ‘Models, Madonnas, and Maternity: icons of breastfeeding’ Performing Motherhood: Ideology, Agency, Experience conference. La Trobe U 2002.

Bartlett, A. 'Breastfeeding in the City: reading media scandals through politics and performance.' Mothering: Power/Oppression conference U. Queensland 2001.