Infant-feeding consumerism in the age of intensive mothering and risk society

    Authors

    S. Afflerback; S. K. Carter; A. K. Anthony;L. Grauerholz

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Consum. Cult.

    Keywords

    intensive mothering; risk society; United States; breastfeeding; infant; feeding; consumerism; consumption; BREAST; CONSUMPTION; MOTHERHOOD; MORALITY; MILK; Cultural Studies; Sociology

    Abstract

    The ideologies of intensive mothering and risk society place increasing burden on mothers to make critical choices regarding infant feeding that are understood as having irreversible consequences for their children's long-term health and emotional well-being. Although research has examined consequences of these ideologies on mothers' decisions to breastfeed or formula-feed their infants, little has focused on consumer decisions regarding formulas, baby food and feeding-related items. This article examines symbolic meanings attached to infant food and feeding-related consumer items among first-time mothers in the United States. Results indicate broad categories of baby-oriented consumerismqualities and characteristics mothers sought for their babies through feeding-related consumer behaviorsand mother-oriented consumerismqualities and characteristics mothers sought for themselves through consumer behaviors. Baby-oriented consumerism included health, comfort, taste and development, and mother-oriented consumerism included knowledge/control, compliance, convenience, frugality, relationships and self-image.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Consumer Culture

    Volume

    13

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    387

    Last Page

    405

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000326118000009

    ISSN

    1469-5405

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