Description
Book SynopsisThe rights of pregnant workers as well as (the lack of) paid maternity leave have increasingly become topics of a major policy debate in the United States. Yet, few discussions have focused on the U.S. military, where many of the latest policy changes focus on these very issues. Despite the armed forces' increasesto maternity-related benefits,servicewomen continue to be stigmatized for being pregnant and taking advantage of maternity policies. In an effort to understand this disconnect, Megan McFarlane analyzes military documents and conducts interviews with enlisted servicewomen and female officers. She finds a policy/culture disparity within the military that pregnant servicewomen themselves often co-construct, making the policy changes significantly less effective. McFarlane ends by offering suggestions for how these policy changes can have more impact and how they could potentially serve as an example for the broader societal debate.
Trade Review"This book will be of interest to readers who examine gender and the military as well as issues related to gender and work, pregnancy discrimination, and masculinity and femininity more broadly. McFarlane also creates a useful conceptual framework that she labels the ‘continuum of maternity’ which understands maternity including pre-pregnancy and pregnancy planning phases, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum mothering. This framework not only shows how different maternity phases shape and constrain women’s lives and workplace experiences but also reveals the importance of policies and benefits at each stage and could easily be applied to other workplaces." * Gender and Society *
"An intriguing, refreshingly accessible study with far-reaching appeal…Any person with an interest in exploring the intersection of maternity and hierarchical power structures will undoubtedly find valuable insight in Militarized Maternity."
* Women & Language *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
1. Examining the Pregnancy Continuum in the U.S. Military
2. Contextualizing Military Maternity Experiences
3. Hyperplanning Pregnancies
4. Performing Macho Maternity
5. Negotiating Postpartum Policies
6. Redefining Military Maternity
Appendix A Research Participants: Demographics
Appendix B Profiles: Enlisted Servicewomen
Appendix C Profiles: Female Officers
Notes
Bibliography
Index
