Prompt Cast
Evolution of Motherhood Myths in Capitalist Societies
TLDR This podcast episode explores the myths surrounding motherhood in capitalist societies, debunking the idea of maternal instinct and highlighting the historical reliance on community support for child-rearing. It delves into the activism of Johnny Tillman, a black mother on welfare, who fought against stigma and discrimination, advocating for better worker training, affordable childcare, and a guaranteed annual income for all poor people.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In this episode, the myths of motherhood in the age of capitalism are explored, including the idea of the ideal mother and the contradictory social expectations that come with being a mother.
05:28
The myth of the maternal instinct is debunked, as parenting behaviors are not fixed patterns of behavior but rather a process that grows from the brain and is shaped by the baby.
11:24
Fathers and non-gestational parents also experience hormonal changes and bonding with their babies, and throughout history, humans have relied on community support to raise children rather than solely relying on biological mothers. The myth of the maternal instinct was popularized in the early 20th century by psychologist William McDougal, who embraced eugenics and advocated for preserving maternal instinct in white women.
16:55
The rise of capitalism and the transformation of work during the industrial revolution led to the construction of motherhood as an economic identity, with white women being assigned the role of caretakers of the home, while the myth of the maternal instinct was perpetuated through disinformation and social control.
22:20
Gwendolyn Fowler discovers the life and activism of Johnny Tillman, a black mother on welfare who became the head of the National Welfare Rights Organization in the 1960s and 70s, through interviews conducted by oral historian Shurna Burger Gluck.
27:10
Johnny Tillman, a black mother on welfare, faced stigma and discrimination as a welfare recipient due to the racialized and gendered nature of the welfare system.
32:10
Johnny Tillman organized other mothers on welfare to push for better worker training, affordable childcare, and a right to dignity and privacy, as well as to address the devaluation of black motherhood and the historical denial of the choice to stay home and raise a child, ultimately advocating for a guaranteed annual income for all poor people in the country.
37:14
The idea of the welfare queen, perpetuated by Ronald Reagan, overshadowed the efforts of Johnny Tillman and led to the dismantling of welfare, but it also sparked a revolution of ideas challenging the nuclear family ideal and questioning who gets to be a mother.
43:33
The Wages for Housework movement aimed to recognize and compensate the essential labor of housewives, which would lead to a revolution in gender roles and challenge the traditional family values of the time.
49:17
True love and care require a collectivist mindset and shared work, but our society undervalues care work and fails to provide necessary support, leaving mothers to rely on each other and alternative forms of community-based care.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
