When breast is not best: Opposing dominant discourses on breastfeeding

Dominant discourses on breastfeeding as the optimal feeding method for infants and a way for mother and child to develop a strong bond are widely promoted and the message of ‘breast is best’ has been internalized by mothers around the world. Breastfeeding rates in Iceland and the other Nordic countr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Sociological review (Keele) 2018-05, Vol.66 (3), p.665-681
Main Authors: Símonardóttir, Sunna, Gíslason, Ingólfur V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Baby foods
Bottle feeding
Breastfeeding & lactation
Children
Discourses
Equality
Ethics
Females
Feminism
Gender equity
Gender inequality
Infants
Internalization
Mothers
Resistance
Rhetoric
Social norms
Women
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Summary:Dominant discourses on breastfeeding as the optimal feeding method for infants and a way for mother and child to develop a strong bond are widely promoted and the message of ‘breast is best’ has been internalized by mothers around the world. Breastfeeding rates in Iceland and the other Nordic countries are among the highest in the world and the cultural and societal expectations for women to successfully breastfeed are therefore very high, as breastfeeding represents a strong moral and social norm. Iceland is considered a model for gender equality and feminism and this article thus examines the experiences of women who have struggled with breastfeeding, in a context which strongly promotes both breastfeeding and gender equality. By analysing the narratives of 77 Icelandic women, this article extends theorizing about rhetorical agency and resistance by demonstrating how they oppose and challenge dominant discourses on breastfeeding and good mothering and what counter-discourses they draw upon in order to make sense of their experiences. The findings indicate that feminism and feminist rhetoric have been unsuccessful in addressing and providing women with counter-discourses that challenge the highly gendered and oppressive elements of infant feeding and its link to idealized versions of motherhood.
ISSN:0038-0261
1467-954X
DOI:10.1177/0038026117751342