Ruddick is arguing for disassociating “mother” from female biology

Ruddick argues that men can be mothers b/c essence of being a mother is a way of thinking, reasoning, a discipline

Is this possible to conceive of “mothering” as a gender neutral activity?

According to Ruddick, Motherhood has three goals:
preservation, nurturance, training (making children socially acceptable);

Thus, being a mother, means working toward these three goals (doesn’t matter who does them)
 

What are the social ramifications of making “mothering”something both men and women do?

Should we start calling men that do these things - esp. single fathers - moms?

The Mr. Mom phenomenon

 Are women and men likely to accomplish these three goals i.e., preservation, nurturance and training, in the same way?

In other words, is there an essential difference between men and women that leads them to have different parenting styles?

 
Maternal Ethics
 What are ethics anyway?

Ruddick asserts that “preservative love is at least prima facie incompatible with maternal militarism” (356)

What does this mean?

Do mothers support war/soldiering more or less than other women, other people?
 
Media take on it
     Cindy Sheehan
     Russian Mothers Movement
     Madres de La Plaza de Mayo

What about mothers who do support war/soldiering?  Why do they?
    Story on Mother Soldier

Beer and Brunell, “Women’s Words:  Gender and Rhetoric in the Gulf War Debate.”

The Maternalist Dimension