first fig

cross posted at the exponent

policy experts have long noted the perplexing problem of low birthrates among the most free and democratic countries. indeed, most European countries have negative birthrates, meaning european women are having less than the two children it takes to replace the population. though america still has a positive birthrate, experts project that we will be in the same situation as europe within the next fifty years. the consequence of a low birthrate is that countries have an increasingly older  population. this presents a variety of problems, obviously a smaller and older workforce decreases productivity and threatens the solvency of pension and social insurance systems. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent

i have a two year-old daughter. a beautiful, mischievous, redheaded imp of a girl who leaps and spirals through life. she is my light in this world, a daily reminder of the goodness of God.

this past sunday, as i picked her up from her nursery class, my daughter proudly thrust a piece of paper into my hands and said, “look mommy, i drawing.” i started to tell her how lovely her drawing was but stopped short as i registered the image before me. underneath her pink crayon scribblings was a picture of a little boy with the words “I Have a Body like Heavenly Father’s” printed above him. but what really took my breath away was this image in juxtaposition to my daughter’s very feminine name scrawled in the upper right-hand corner. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent

i recently began research for my thesis into public policy and the way it affects women. one theme that i keep running into again and again is what feminist legal scholar Martha Minow calls the dilemma of difference. in her book Making All the Difference: Inclusion, Exclusion, and American Law, she writes:

“The dilemma of difference may be posed as a choice between integration and separation, as a choice between similar treatment and special treatment, or as a choice between neutrality and accommodation.”

this is an area rife with landmines for feminist scholars. some believe that women should only accept equal treatment without regard to biological differences such as pregnancy if women have any hope of reaching a modicum of equality. their argument is that by accepting special treatment, women risk reinforcing the age old narrative of women’s vulnerability and inferiority. but those who argue for special treatment believe that policy needs to be put in place that addresses the unique needs women have from men. they also believe that failing to acknowledge the differences does little to remedy systematic inequality. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent

six months ago, in the middle of my second trimester, i started making preparations. these weren’t the typical preparations of setting up a nursery, buying baby clothes and taking lamaze classes that usually accompany an impending arrival. rather, it involved a series of conversations with my medical providers about the very real possibility of a post-partum depressive episode. i alerted my midwives to my history of seasonal depression, talked with my endocrinologist about the importance of keeping my thyroid hormones in check, retained a psychiatrist in case i should need medication and put my therapist’s number on speed-dial. i was taking no chances. instead of anxiously awaiting a new bundle of joy, i anxiously expected a return of darkness. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent

the internet was abuzz a few weeks ago with the story of a feisty woman that shouted down a man who sexually assaulted her on the subway. this, and the uproar surrounding the new tsa policies have created an opportunity for increased awareness and greater discussion about the reality of sexual harassment and sexual assault that all women face.

if statistics are to be believed, 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. that number is probably much higher due to under-reporting. indeed, each of us probably has an experience where we have been harassed, assaulted or touched without our consent. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent

as i mentioned in my last post, i am expecting my third child, due right around christmas. by now we’re all starting to get excited to meet this little guy, all except my two year old daughter. she stubbornly insists that she is the baby and will barely acknowledge that another baby is coming. i’m not really worried about it, it seems completely normal to me but i would like to make the transition as easy as possible for her.

i was almost four when my younger sister was born and i remember that i was not thrilled about sharing my parents’ attention. but my parents did something smart, they got me a baby doll and cradle and some of my best memories from that difficult time are of me taking care of my baby just like my mommy was taking care of my baby sister. as we get closer to my due date i’ve been thinking about doing something similar for my daughter. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at our family blog

i don’t write or post a lot of pictures of myself on this blog because, like i’ve said before, this blog isn’t about me. family blogs exist for the sole purpose of showing off cute pictures of your kids. but these pictures fall into a gray area since they’re of me carrying our next child.

Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent

i’m a grad student in a public administration program and a term we often use is “the body politic”, meaning a collective group of people organized under a governmental authority. i’ve been thinking about this concept in terms of what it means to be a pregnant individual and part of a society since i am currently pregnant with my third child.

pregnancy is full of complexities, mostly personal in nature. but pregnancy is one of those times when the personal intersects with the public. not only do you cease to consider yourself merely an individual due to the presence of another, but the community also ceases to see you as an individual. on some level i can understand this; pregnant women quite literally represent the continuation of our society, we are the lifeblood of the body politic. it is no surprise that others have an interest in the welfare of the next generation. but should pregnant women be asked to set aside their privacy and at times, their autonomy, to ease the fears of society? some would say yes, evidenced by the broad legislation utah passed last year that would prosecute women for reckless behavior resulting in a miscarriage. as the one being asked to set aside the self for the good of society, it is much harder to willingly comply. Read the rest of this entry »

cross posted at the exponent & feminist mormon housewives

mormon feminism has had a big year.  after being pronounced all but dead, it has been thrilling to see this renaissance take place in such a short period of time. the year started with the rebirth of the feminist literary tradition; the Our Visions, Our Voices tour put on by the mormon women writers was amazing. And, of course, exponent II magazine is back with a bang. then there was the Patheos and UK Guardian articles written by fMh’s reese dixon, proudly proselytizing our cause.

i am not alone in recognizing a groundswell in the movement. the same publication that asked only six years ago where all the Mormon feminists had gone now declares that Mormon feminism is back. one of the most exciting developments has been the creation of the mormon feminist activist organization, Women Advocating for Voice and Equality (WAVE). Read the rest of this entry »