- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Breast Wishes to You
The Sexualization of Breasts By Neilia Sherman
Why do some women feel uncomfortable about breastfeeding in public? In my city, there was public outcry when a young woman challenged a law against female toplessness ... and won. It has been enough to make any nursing mother uneasy.
The hypocrisy and hype that surround this issue is astounding. The idea of women going topless in public is shocking, but only because we have been conditioned to expect otherwise not because we are unused to the sight of breasts. They are everywhere: on billboards, in magazines, on television and flowing out of skin-tight attire. It wasn't that long ago when showing the ankle, the knee or the thigh was considered indecent. Times change and taboos change.
Breasts are sexualized in our collective psyche but, realistically, any part of the body can by sexual. Many cultures force women to cover their hair, as this attribute is seen as enticing to men. We have been making decisions about women's bodies based on concerns that men cannot practice self-control. This mentality relieves men of any responsibility for their behavior. Do breasts cause ogling? Does nudity cause sexual assault? No. These unfortunate situations occur regardless of women's state of dress.
Bathing suits and under things have grown skimpier by the decade, leaving little to the imagination. In fact, I saw a woman wearing a thong, face down in a park the other day; that struck me as just as if not more sexual than a naked breast. Strip-clubs, porn magazines, X-rated movies and wet T-shirt contests are examples of legal practices dedicated to the sexualizing of breasts.
The concern about children seeing nude breasts seems to be rampant, that is, if you believe what you hear on talk radio. How quickly our young ones go from seeing Mommy's breast as a milk bar to seeing them as taboo sexual objects. Flat-chested girls are wearing tiny bikini tops. I remember riding my bike as a child, shirt undone, enjoying the feel of the wind. I looked no different than my brother. It didn't take long until I was exhorted to "Cover up!" I learned that day that girls weren't allowed to do what boys did. It didn't make sense, but I learned to be ashamed.
