Feminist Anthropology Professor Blasted for Breastfeeding During Class

Yahoo! ^ | 09.12.2012 | Lylah M. Alphonse

[Condor 63]

It's a dilemma that many working moms face: What do you do when your child is too sick to go to school but you have a can't-miss obligation at the office?

For Adrienne Pine, a single mom and an assistant professor of anthropology at American University in Washington, D.C., the choice seemed clear. When her infant daughter woke up with a fever on August 28, the first day of Pine's class on Sex, Gender and Culture, Pine decided to bring her baby along.

Everything went smoothly for the first part of the 75-minute long lecture.

[Condor 63]

The most shocking part of the article is some of her students complained.

[Brandonmark]

Adrienne Pine
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology

Adrienne Pine is a militant medical anthropologist who has worked in Honduras, Mexico, Korea, the United States, and Egypt. In her book, Working Hard, Drinking Hard: On Violence and Survival in Honduras, she argues that the symbolic violence resulting from Hondurans’ embodied obsession with certain forms of 'real' violence is a necessary condition for the acceptance of violent forms of modernity and capitalism. Dr. Pine has worked both outside and inside the academy to effect a more just world. Prior to and following the June 2009 military coup in Honduras, she has collaborated with numerous organizations and individuals to bring international attention to the Honduran struggle to halt the state violence (in its multiple forms). She has also conducted extensive research on the impact of corporate health-care and health-care technologies on labor practices in the U.S.

[sagar]

Reminds me the scene from Me, Myself, and Irene.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Oh, lawdy! Another “Schtruggle” (tm). Just like Moochelle.

[Cicero]

This woman sounds like a real fruitcake, as one might expect of someone who teaches a university class on “sex, gender, and culture” these days.

On the other hand, I don’t see anything wrong with breastfeeding in public, as long as it is done discreetly. There’s nothing sexy about breastfeeding—it’s a normal human thing to do.

This article fails to mention, as an earlier article I read somewhere did, that many of the students objected to her bringing a sick baby with a fever to class with her and letting it run around and probably spread the disease.

That’s the thing that I would object to. I don’t know how many times my grandchildren have come down with various bugs, which then spread to their parents and to us, because some inconsiderate parent dropped their sick child off at school. At least wait until the fever is gone.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'll give the militant idiot one thing... Feeding baby is a normal human function, and should be done where required.

The problem is having women in academia in the first place. No need to freak out the class if she is consigned to ironing her husband's pants and cooking his dinner. And, of course, taking care of the kids.

/johnny

[knittnmom]

...many of the students objected to her bringing a sick baby with a fever to class with her and letting it run around and probably spread the disease

That's what would have bothered me - why was she exposing her students to the bug? Sick people need to stay at home. If the sick people are children, then a parent needs to stay with them. With all the options for on-line lectures, video, etc., she did NOT need to be in the class room!

[DManA]

Do you think she is giving her class her undivided attention? I think they deserve her undivided attention considering the outrageous sums they are paying for the privilege of listening to her precious wisdom.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Good lord, woman, just cancel class.

The world will keep spinning without hearing about your brilliant thoughts on some topic no one gives a damn about.

[papertyger]

Sorry, as far as I’m concerned nursing moms get carte blanche when feeding the young’in.

Being offended by a nursing boob is on par with being offended by the consumption of meat.

[DManA]

Being a “militant” medical anthropologist say says to me she’s willing to kill for medical anthropology.

Is there a also a force of militant anti-medical anthropologists?

[Politicalmom]

I’m a huge advocate of breastfeeding, but the child was crawling on the filthy floor poking at electrical outlets. This was a stupid thing for this woman to do.

[papertyger]

I’m a huge advocate of breastfeeding, but the child was crawling on the filthy floor poking at electrical outlets. This was a stupid thing for this woman to do.

Be that as it may, the subject of the controversy is the breastfeeding....

[JRandomFreeper]

Don't know. Is it related to the militant faction of "Up With People"?

Without a score sheet, program, or racing form, it's difficult to keep up with the left.

All I know is that she's angry, militant, lactating, and teaching a class of dubious value.

/johnny

[Politicalmom]

I read complaints about the entire situation. That baby should NOT have been in that classroom in the first place. Besides that, those students were a captive audience.

[JRandomFreeper]

but the child was crawling on the filthy floor poking at electrical outlets

I'm ok with that. It can enhance the immune system (assuming the child doesn't die) and the outlets are a certain Boolean/Darwinian selection thing. I would have given the kid my keys to allow full exploration of the outlets.

Harsh, but that's me.

/johnny

[Politicalmom]

Have you been hanging out with Laz?

[CommerceComet]

The world will keep spinning without hearing about your brilliant thoughts on some topic no one gives a damn about.

Surely, you jest. Who wouldn't want to hear more about this?

"the symbolic violence resulting from Hondurans’ embodied obsession with certain forms of 'real' violence is a necessary condition for the acceptance of violent forms of modernity and capitalism."

[JRandomFreeper]

No, but we may have drifted into similar orbits.

You sound like my youngest daughter after she yells at me about letting the grandson do something and I point out that she's produced spares.... ;)

/johnny

[Talisker]

In her book, Working Hard, Drinking Hard: On Violence and Survival in Honduras, Dr. Pine argues that the symbolic violence resulting from Hondurans’ embodied obsession with certain forms of 'real' violence is a necessary condition for the acceptance of violent forms of modernity and capitalism.