After all that debate around whether attachment parenting is anti-feminist for mothers this is an interesting finding:
Results showed that feminists were more likely to support attachment parenting practices than non-feminists, and non-feminists were more likely to endorse strict schedules for children. These results suggest that attachment parenting is a type of parenting that is attractive to feminist women.
Interestingly, non-feminists, and mothers in particular, held misperceptions about the typical feminist who they saw as largely uninterested in the time-intensive and hands-on practices associated with attachment parenting. Non-feminists perceived feminists as less interested in attachment parenting than they were when, in fact, the feminists were more interested.
The study, which was mentioned in PSYPOST, is relatively small but the results are noteworthy. The findings make intuitive sense to me because, anecdotally, among the feminist mothers I follow on Twitter and at other blogs more of them seem to be into AP than not. But then you could reasonably argue that there is a significant amount of self-selection bias in my own sampling, too. This is not to say that I don’t also really dig my feminist parenting people who are not into AP. Just, these are interesting thoughts.
(Thanks to Dylan for the link).
Reblogged this on By The Pin and commented:
This is *very* interesting.
I don’t see any thing anti-feminist about attachment parenting.
But but it does seem to me that any sort of social pressure on women to adopt attachment parenting is inconsistent with feminism.
As for the study, I wonder if they controlled for things like race and class. I suspect that attachment parenting is most popular among middle and upper class women, i.e. women who are free to stay home with their children if they choose to.
Intelligent women are feminists; intelligent women do ‘AP’ parenting. Intelligence is the common denominator.
As a foster carer I have seen the devastating effects from the lack of attachment to a primary carer in the very early years of life. To be honest though, I wish that this word had not been captured and used to label a style of parenting. It’s too important a concept to be arguing about. Attachment Parenting may be based in attachment theory, but they are not one and the same.
To a certain extent parents are entitled to bring their children up in the way in which they see fit. But the extents reach out in all directions. Of course we want our kids to be safe and happy, nurtured and loved and we want them to grow up thinking they are capable of whatever they put their attention and effort to. My concern is for the kids who, because of the way in which they are being raised, do not learn how to wait/delay their gratification, to apply themselves, to problem solve & adapt to change or accept not getting something they may want in that moment, to understand the value of working towards something intangible. These qualities are learnt over time and though a child with a strong attachment bond will find it much easier to learn these skills, they can and are also achieved in those who are not so lucky.
Surely the goal is to help our kids to reach their potential, whatever that may be and to become well-rounded adults who are capable of learning from their mistakes. Kids who grow up getting what they want whenever they want it have a much harder time getting there.
Observation from an outsider (non-mother) – I have observed all combinations amongst my friends/relatives: mother doing lots of/some AP principles / strong feminist; mother not doing AP / feminist, mother not doing AP / not a feminist. Etc. (I’ve observed about 30 friends/relatives having kids in the last 4 years.). There’s a good mix of hippy/non-hippy in there too. To me, the link appears to be: parents who don’t want to control their kids so much do AP. I don’t mean this in a bad way, I just mean, some parents try to set their kids’ schedules and they think that works better, and others are more relaxed about that stuff.
Anyway, I think you could make the argument that this fits well with feminist mothers and fathers because if you have feminist ways of thinking, then generally you are respectful of others’ rights and self-determination etc. But then, I have other friends who are pretty feminist who ended up doing controlled crying/sleep training with their kids because they needed some damn sleep.
I struggle with this. (New mum, newly feeling qualified to comment on your blog but a long time reader!). I identify as feminist and have taken on many of the AP precepts in looking after my 6 month old son. But I’m also vaguely aware that my close-to-total availability has an expiry date and that my son will not be able to ‘outgrow infanthood at his own pace’ because I will return to work part time in the next few months. My partner and I will share caring for him so he’s still going to be within the family but I feel like that time will be a deliberate placing him at arms length (by me). There will be some nightweaning and some formula feeds. This is my choice, this is what feminism has allowed us to do as a family, but I can’t help feeling a bit sad that I can’t continue to keep him close until he doesn’t want it any more.
I wonder if this would still be true if you took out all the religious parents who belong to anti-feminist churches? Because in my part of the world, the churches where spanking and scheduling are considered “Christian” are also strongly anti-feminist.
I too have (anecdotally) noted a correlation between feminist mothers and AP. As a feminist mother myself, I’ve definitely adopted many principles of AP (though I don’t really label myself as an “Attachment Parent.”)
For me, I think that the same principles that led me to feminist thinking–respect for individual differences, understanding of identity complexities, belief in the right to question oppressive systems–are the same ones that lead me to tackle some parenting issues with an AP perspective.
As a child psychologist I have to point out that this study did not take into account financial status. And probably for a reason because almost all controlled research on this topic shows that the biggest factor affecting parenting practices is income level. When you take into account all of these supposed differences (AP vs. Non-AP, feminist vs. non-feminist, etc.) almost always disappear.
“The child psychologist who thought she had all the answers to parenting until she became one herself.” http://www.themommypsychologist.com
For me it’s all rationality + ethics. Feminist/skeptic ethics are founded on solid evidence and aim to make the world a better place. AP principles are similarly rational, productive etc.
For me it’s all rationality + ethics. Feminist/skeptic ethics are founded on solid evidence and aim to make the world a better place. AP principles are similarly rational, productive etc.
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I agree, amongst my friends AP and feminism goes together. I don’t see why there should be any great conflict between the two. The misconception is that feminists don’t value motherhood in the way other women do, obviously this is untrue.
Feminism wants to destroy families and replace them by a matriarchy.
In reality this is an underclass paid for by mostly male taxpayers.
These idealogue bigots are doing immense damage but men and women are beginning to push them back
I am so glad you stopped by because I forget that people like you really do exist.