The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women

In the current political climate, it is sometimes challenging to think back to the heyday of second-wave feminism, probably around 1970, when women in many facets of our society were applying critical concepts when thinking about their position inside and outside the family. It is challenging because it's so far from the current reality, in which "feminism" has such a bad name. How was this shift accomplished? While Susan Douglas and Meredith Michaels do not give us the complete answer (perhaps no one can), they well illustrate that a shift in our popular vision of feminism has occurred, discuss in detail the extent of this shift and its impact on the lives of Americans and their families, and go on to offer a skillful explanation of the political forces that led to this situation. The Mommy Myth helps us document the scary trek from feminism to a post-feminist netherworld that makes the false assumption that feminism's goals have all been achieved, questioned, and surpassed. For that, American women, and all our moms, are deeply indebted to this book.