Pronatalism - (Critical Language and Literacy Studies) by Sarah Benesch (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book centers on women who voluntarily forgo having and raising children. Grounded in a discourse approach, it examines reproductive decision-making in the context of pronatalist discourses ('maternal instinct', 'biological clock' and 'having it all') as well as anti-natalist eugenic discourses.

Book Synopsis

This book addresses a topic that until recently had been underexplored: women who voluntarily forgo having and raising children. Grounded in a discourse approach, it examines reproductive decision-making in the context of pronatalist discourses, such as 'maternal instinct', 'biological clock' and 'having it all', that encourage procreation in some while discouraging it in others. To contextualize pronatalism sociohistorically, the book also examines the relationship between pro- and anti-natalist discourses that emerged during the 20th-century eugenics movement in the United States, especially its promotion of white middle-class women's procreation while discouraging, or preventing, poor immigrant women and women of color from reproducing. Other topics include online communities devoted to childfreedom, 20th- and 21st-century women authors who wrote about their decision not to procreate, responses of academic women in the field of applied linguistics to questions about their childlessness, and a personal narrative of the author's childlessness. The author calls for solidarity between mothers and 'nothers' (her term for childless women) to defy the policing of women's bodies worldwide.

Review Quotes

Blending academic rigor with personal memoir, Sarah Benesch embarks on a groundbreaking exploration of pronatalism. She shrewdly dissects the sociopolitical forces that collectively champion motherhood as a moral imperative and polarize women's identities into 'mother' or 'nother' through various forms of cultural policing. Pronatalism, reminiscent of Foucault's Discipline and Punish, offers an archaeological examination of how women's bodies continue to be battlegrounds for discursive and sociopolitical struggles. As ultra-conservative voices gain traction globally, the timing of this book is impeccable.-- "Sunny Man Chu Lau, Bishop's University, Quebec, Canada"

Benesch has produced a hugely powerful and captivating book that informs and challenges. Stunningly written, it draws on literature, popular culture, empirical data, and personal experience to explore 'notherhood' from multiple discursive perspectives. It is a ground-breaking work that will appeal to readers well beyond applied linguistics. An extraordinary contribution.-- "Gary Barkhuizen, University of Auckland, New Zealand"

Sarah Benesch has once again written a path-breaking book. This timely volume challenges us to critically examine deep-seated assumptions embodied in the discourses that shape how we think and talk about women's reproductive destinies. Benesch's hybrid personal/scholarly voice reveals how academic writing can embrace an author's lived experience and advocate for change while making a truly original contribution to applied linguistics research.-- "Sue Starfield, UNSW Sydney, Australia"

About the Author

Sarah Benesch is Professor Emerita of English, College of Staten Island, the City University of New York, USA. Over the course of her career, she has written about critical English for academic purposes and the relationship between emotions and power in English language teaching.