ABSTRACT

In this conceptual analysis, we theorise breastfeeding as an embodied ‘dirty’ performance of femininity and draw on Hoskin’s (2019a) work on femme theory to propose that women who breastfeed in public, who do so for an ‘extended’ time, and who enjoy it are subject to femmephobic attacks. We integrate three streams of literature to unsettle the ‘taint’ of breastfeeding. We first theorise breastfeeding as an act of femininity where women perform gender trouble in line with Butler's work. We also draw on Douglas’ work on ‘dirt’ and Rivera’s work on emotional ‘dirty’ work to theorise that ‘taint’ is one way in which society stigmatises the phenomenon of breastfeeding. Specifically, we propose that embodied breastfeeding evokes ‘tainted’ emotions. We then draw on Schippers’ work on ‘containing’ pariah forms of femininity (lest they ‘contaminate’ patriarchy) by showing how femmephobic stigmatisation limits breastfeeding women’s corporeality and presence in shared spaces.

摘要

在这个概念分析中，我们将母乳喂养理论化为体现女性气质的“肮脏”表现，并借鉴 Hoskin（2019a）关于女性理论的工作，提出在公共场所母乳喂养、“长时间”母乳喂养以及享受它受到女性恐惧症的攻击。我们整合了三种文献来消除母乳喂养的“污点”。我们首先将母乳喂养理论化为一种女性气质的行为，女性根据巴特勒的工作表现出性别问题。我们还借鉴道格拉斯关于“污垢”的工作和里维拉关于情感“肮脏”工作的工作来推测“污点”是社会对母乳喂养现象进行污名化的一种方式。具体来说，我们提出具体的母乳喂养会唤起“被污染的”情绪。