Dear Noriko,
I've been away for a few days, so I didn't have a chance to reply to your
message re patriarchy, feminism and breastfeeding.

You are right that some feminists seem to miss the point that they are buying
into patriarchy's view when they devalue breastfeeding. It does get tricky,
as you noted, if we appear to imply that all women should be mothers, that
biology is destiny, etc. but as Catherein W. Genna pointed out <<How can it
be perceived as feminist to be dependent on a male dominated
medical-industrial
complex for our infant's nutrition rather than to value women's own unique
biological capability?  >>

I also think you made the good point when you said <<Actually, people in
general are influenced by created images by our patriarchal society
(including medicine and technology) and commercialism. >> I think that the
forces of commercialism and technology really are part of patriarchy, so
Marsha Walker's triad of cultural themes can really reduced to patriarchy and
its corollaries.

Anyway you slice it, breastfeeding, women, and children are the losers until
we can mobilze women to reclaim themselves--

That said, I want to add--
Most women, whether they gag at the "f- word" (feminism) or not, get angry at
certain injustices to women, recognize specific unfair situations,
participate in the 'battle of the sexes'-- I see a feminist in every woman,
if we just find it from her viewpoint and not bother her with other people's
language-- "feminism" "patriarchy" etc.  Even here on lactnet, while I have
had uniformly supportive responses to my post decrying the triad of
patriarchy, commercialism and technology, I wonder how many lactnetters are
politely and quietly ignoring my comments, since talk of patriarchy can be a
bit offputting to many.

So while I may sound like a political rabble rouser out here in cyberspace,
among the women I work with, I am respectful, and try to be a listener. On a
one-to-one basis, the aim is empowerment; political speeches can be
misunderstood, and backfire.

Tina