I have not read Linda Blum's new book "At the Breast" but I have most of her
early *scholarly* writings on breastfeeding and La Leche League.  I use the
word *scholarly* with caution.  In her earlier work, she did research among
LLL moms *without* getting LLLI research permission.  This is a big
mis-step, academically.  It would be like doing research on human subjects
without going through your university or organization's Human Subject Review
board.  No serious academic who had any integrity would do research without
first getting the proper permissions.  Also, she attended a few day-time
meetings, and characterized all LLL groups as being like the one or two she
attended.  She never attended night-time meetings, where many of the
working/breastfeeding mothers hang out.  She only attended LLL meetings in
one part of the country.  I can't remember precisely which demographic group
she tapped into, but it certainly didn't represent the broad range of
geographic, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity that one can find in
different LLL groups around the country.

She views LLLI as being anti-feminist, and goes on to discuss her notions of
what feminism is all about.  Her perspective is a prime example of "naive
feminism" -- she has not moved beyond the very first stages of understanding
what feminism is all about.  My students all have a much more sophisticated
understanding of feminism after one semester.  This does not bode well for
her analyses.

Kathy Dettwyler

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