Mothering.

 

 
For Sara Ruddick, “mothering” means something very different from the familiar definitions.  To understand the ways that mothering might contribute to social and political ethics, it’s necessary first to clarify what mothering in fact means to her.

First, mothering is not confined to women.  As a feminist, Ruddick does not believe that nurturing and caring are naturally – or should be – limited to women.  Mothering as she describes it is a powerful and positive practice that men and women alike should undertake.  In contrast to “fathers,” who are hierarchical, authoritarian, and sometimes violent in their exercise of power, “mothers” seek to help the people they care for be safe and thrive.

Last, mothering is as much a political practice as much as it is a personal one. Like all care ethicists, Ruddick defines care and nurture in social and political terms.  This means that care entails not only direct personal interactions with vulnerable and needy humans but also work to create the conditions that those people need in order to thrive.  This may require explicitly political actions, such as changing laws, protesting wars, or redistributing public funds.

For Ruddick, "mothering" provides a strong foundation for social and political ethics in a couple of ways.  First, mothering clarifies primary political and moral goals:  a society in which children can be safe, healthy, well-cared for, and adequately prepared for adulthood.  Second, mothering provides the means for achieving these goals: in and through relationships of care and reciprocity.  It suggests a way to build a good society through personal as well as political means, and further, that these different approaches are ultimately united.