The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender [Paperback]

Nancy J. Chodorow (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520038924 | ISBN-13: 978-0520038929 | Publication Date: July 25, 1979 | Edition: First Paperback Printing

When this best-seller was published, it put the mother-daughter relationship and female psychology on the map. The Reproduction of Mothering was chosen by Contemporary Sociology as one of the ten most influential books of the past twenty-five years. With a new preface by the author, this updated edition is testament to the formative effect that Nancy Chodorow's work continues to exert on psychoanalysis, social science, and the humanities.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"The Reproduction of Mothering was that rare book that had a major impact on two different constituencies: feminists and psychoanalysts. It was a must-read in 1978, putting object-relations theory on the map in the United States, and it remains a must-read today. It continues to shape the thinking of analysts and feminists today, and it is one of the key texts available that links psyche and culture, psychoanalysis and sociology."--Ethel Spector Person, M.D., author of The Sexual Century

"The book that created a Copernican Revolution in gender theory. . . . From literature to political science, from disciples to critics, no feminist theory has been untouched by Chodorow's bold and brilliant reconfiguration."--Susan Bordo, author of Unbearable Weight and The Male Body

"The Reproduction of Mothering represents the boldest attempt to realign psychoanalysis and feminism in the late 20th century."--Mari Jo Buhle, author of Feminism and Its Discontents

"It is difficult to imagine the shape that feminist literary criticism might have taken in the last twenty years without the enabling influence of The Reproduction of Mothering. The importance of Chodorow's work cannot be overestimated."--Marianne Hirsch, author of The Mother/Daughter Plot

"The Reproduction of Mothering is a classic in its field, a book that has profoundly affected the course of psychoanalytic feminism."--Madelon Sprengnether, author of The Spectral Mother

"Nancy Chodorow's The Reproduction of Mothering has been an invaluable companion to me over the years. In theorizing the cultural situation of literary men as well as literary women, I've often turned to Chodorow's revisionary readings of Freud, her meticulous accounts of the dynamics of mothering, and, more generally, her innvotative discussions of sexual sociology."--Sandra M. Gilbert, coauthor of The Madwoman in the Attic

"A groundbreaking book, The Reproduction of Mothering has shaped feminist literary criticism since it was published. Chodorow's insights revolutionized the ways in which femininity itself was and is understood."--Susan Gubar, coauthor of The Madwoman in the Attic

From the Back Cover

"The book that created a Copernican Revolution in gender theory. . . . From literature to political science, from disciples to critics, no feminist theory has been untouched by Chodorows bold and brilliant reconfiguration."-- Susan Bordo, author of Unbearable Weight and The Male Body

"The Reproduction of Mothering represents the boldest attempt to realign psychoanalysis and feminism in the late 20th century."--Mari Jo Buhle, author of Feminism and Its Discontents

"It is difficult to imagine the shape that feminist literary criticism might have taken in the last twenty years without the enabling influence of The Reproduction of Mothering. The importance of Chodorow's work cannot be overestimated."--Marianne Hirsch, author of The Mother/Daughter Plot

"The Reproduction of Mothering was that rare book that had a major impact on two different constituencies: feminists and psychoanalysts. It was a must-read in 1978, putting object-relations theory on the map in the United States, and it remains a must-read today. It continues to shape the thinking of analysts and feminists today, and it is one of the key texts available that links psyche and culture, psychoanalysis and sociology."--Ethel Spector Person, M.D., author of The Sexual Century --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 263 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; First Paperback Printing edition (July 25, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520038924
• ISBN-13: 978-0520038929
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,122,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Please read this book more carefully!, June 28, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender, Updated Edition (Paperback)

The two people who reviewed this book before me probably did not read it carefully. Chodorow in fact quotes hundreds of researches and conclusions made by other psychoanalysts and herself. She states her own opinions about the issues she discusses, of course, but also other critics'. In the notes to the chapters she indicates several further readings to illustrate her points or other theories. This book is very educational and opens the readers' eyes to many crucial aspects of mothering, both for parents and children's sake. I recommend all her books.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic in Feminist Theory, April 2, 2005

By 

Phyllis Real "feminist theorist" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender, Updated Edition (Paperback)

A true classic in feminist theory, and an example of the best scholarship. Rigorous, well-documented, exhaustively and logically argued, this book is a classic and deserves to be in print for the next fifty years.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Reproduction od Mothering, May 26, 2009

By 

Leonard Duroche "Past President, American Men... (MPLS, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender (Paperback)

The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender, Updated Edition
An important text in the development of gender theory/ gender studies; fundamental text for critical Men's Studies as well as for Women's Studies.
The tone of two of the earlier views reflect the continuing debates over quantitative versus qualitative research, nature versus nurture, and a bias for metricization: If one cannot measure it, count it (if there are no statistics) it is not science, not meaningful scholarship.Such a straitjacket view wants to invalidate Chodorow's work, which is held by many, perhaps the majority, to be foundational.
I support the positive reviews and strongly recommend the book.