You're Doing it Wrong! by Bethany L. Johnson, Paperback, 9780813593784 | Buy online at The Nile
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You're Doing it Wrong!

Mothering, Media, and Medical Expertise

Author: Bethany L. Johnson and Margaret M. Quinlan  

Paperback

1. It is the first book to examine the popular dissemination of medical expertise, directed at mothers of infants and young children, through social media and within social media platforms. 2. This book is unique comparing expertise disseminated in late 19th- and early 20th-century media (newspapers and magazines, specifically) with that given today on social media. 3. The focus on the "life-cycle of early motherhood," and potential health crises at each stage in that life-cycle (pre-conception, conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, infancy and early toddlerhood) offers a new perspective on historical and present-day medical expertise dissemination. 4. The authors work on social media platforms is relevant to anyone interested in the current information wars, including notions of "fake news," counter-narrative approaches, public and private discourse in and on social media, including how, when and where cultural hierarchies replicate themselves in the supposedly democratic space of the Internet. 5. This book is also important for historians of health and medicine who explore the implications of populist and grass-roots movements in American healthcare, medicine, and medical training. 6. The book critically examines these long-term trends of populism at a unique moment in our nation's history.

Investigates the storied history of mothering advice in the media, from the newspapers, magazines, doctors' records and personal papers of the nineteenth-century to today's websites, Facebook groups and Instagram feeds. Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan find surprising parallels between today's experts and their Victorian counterparts.

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Summary

  1. It is the first book to examine the popular dissemination of medical expertise, directed at mothers of infants and young children, through social media and within social media platforms. 2. This book is unique comparing expertise disseminated in late 19th- and early 20th-century media (newspapers and magazines, specifically) with that given today on social media. 3. The focus on the "life-cycle of early motherhood," and potential health crises at each stage in that life-cycle (pre-conception, conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, infancy and early toddlerhood) offers a new perspective on historical and present-day medical expertise dissemination. 4. The authors work on social media platforms is relevant to anyone interested in the current information wars, including notions of "fake news," counter-narrative approaches, public and private discourse in and on social media, including how, when and where cultural hierarchies replicate themselves in the supposedly democratic space of the Internet. 5. This book is also important for historians of health and medicine who explore the implications of populist and grass-roots movements in American healthcare, medicine, and medical training. 6. The book critically examines these long-term trends of populism at a unique moment in our nation's history.

Investigates the storied history of mothering advice in the media, from the newspapers, magazines, doctors' records and personal papers of the nineteenth-century to today's websites, Facebook groups and Instagram feeds. Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan find surprising parallels between today's experts and their Victorian counterparts.

Read more

Description

New mothers face a barrage of confounding decisions during the life-cycle of early motherhood which includes... Should they change their diet or mindset to conceive? Exercise while pregnant? Should they opt for a home birth or head for a hospital? Whatever they "choose," they will be sure to find plenty of medical expertise from health practitioners to social media "influencers" telling them that they're making a series of mistakes. As intersectional feminists with two small children each, Bethany L. Johnson and Margaret M. Quinlan draw from their own experiences as well as stories from a range of caretakers throughout.

You're Doing it Wrong! investigates the storied history of mothering advice in the media, from the newspapers, magazines, doctors' records and personal papers of the nineteenth-century to today's websites, Facebook groups, and Instagram feeds. Johnson and Quinlan find surprising parallels between today's mothering experts and their Victorian counterparts, but they also explore how social media has placed unprecedented pressures on new mothers, even while it may function as social support for some. They further examine the contentious construction of prenatal and baby care expertise itself, as individuals such as everyone from medical professionals to experienced moms have competed to have their expertise acknowledged in the public sphere.

Exploring potential health crises from infertility treatments to "better babies" milestones, You're Doing it Wrong! provides a provocative look at historical and contemporary medical expertise during conception, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and infant care stages.

Read more

Critic Reviews

“"You're Doing It Wrong! with Bethany L. JohnsonThe Can't Make This Up History Podcast"”

“Through analyses of historical and contemporary cases, especially the careful study of social media and smart phone apps, Johnson and Quinlan raise important questions about expertise and power relations in defining the good mother.” -- Rima D. Apple author of Perfect Motherhood: Science and Childbearing in America
"You're Doing It Wrong!: Mothering, Media, and Medical Expertise is a rare mix of historical, sociological, and media analysis that sheds light on the processes by which motherhood gets defined. We get a glimpse of the historical underpinnings of our relationship with medical expertise, and how media outlets create cultural consensus about mothering (if they do)."
  -- Julie Des Jardins author of Women and the Historical Enterprise in America: Gender, Race, and the Politics of Memory
“Combining historical insights and of-the-minute analyses of social media platforms, Johnson and Quinlan persuasively argue for a rethinking of what we “know” about expertise and the often-fraught journey of early motherhood.”   -- Kristin Celello co-editor of Domestic Tensions, National Anxieties
“'You’re Doing It Wrong': the century-old roots of mom-shaming," by Anna North Vox
"An amazingly refreshing look back at how the medical advice given in relation to raising children has changed over the ages. It really helps to put everything into perspective, and makes you realize…we probably aren’t doing such a bad job after all!" Motherhood: The Real Deal
Defining Moments podcast interview with Bethany L. Johnson and Margaret M. Quinlan
Defining Moments
Mr. Dad "Positive Parenting" podcast interview with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan
Mr. Dad "Positive Parenting" podcast
"A Tongue-in-Cheek History of Infertility"
MomCave
"Psychologists Off The Clock" podcast interview with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan
Psychologists Off The Clock podcast
Self-care Series: Margaret M. Quinlan QA
& Breathe Post-Natal
“Yes, We Will Revise that RR”: Birthing and Writing in the “Publish-or-Perish” Paradigm – Guest Post
The Professor is In
Episode 67: Bethany Johnson and Maggie Quinlan on “You’re Doing It Wrong! Mothering, Media and Medical Expertise”
V94S9HqhLerEqi33tAKJ69MzqI1fc Engendered podcast
"Empowered Health" podcast interview with Bethany L. Johnson and Margaret M. Quinlan
Empowered Health podast
"The Pressures of Being a “Perfect Mom” and Information Overload: Author researcher Dr. Margaret Quinlan shares insights on this age-old feeling nearly every mom experiences"
Dr. Steve Silvestro
“You’re Doing it Wrong” — The Long History of Mom Shaming
Healthline
"Common Sense Pregnancy, Parenting Politics" podcast interview with Margaret Quinlan
mp3?key=484bc6c633d79e6845237ce5173862e2 Common Sense Pregnancy, Parenting & Politics
"Mtherhood in the media: an interview with Margaret Quinlan - Episode 199" 
Parenting Bytes
"You're Doing it Wrong! (Not!!)" The Happy Student podcast interview with Margaret Quinlan 
The Happy Student podcast
NYSSA: The Unmentionables podcast interview with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan
NYSSA: The Unmentionables podcast
"Masters in Parenting Podcast" interview with Bethany Johnson
Chicago Parent
"'You’re Doing It Wrong' Authors Dicuss Infertility" by Yasmine Singh
Life on the Up
"Eugenics Theory, Better Baby Contests, and the Formation of Modern Parenting Advice" by Patrick A. Coleman
Fatherly
"Johnson and Quinlan offer a superb analysis of historical and contemporary renderings of both the lay and expert advice mothers receive." Women & Language
Margaret Quinlan interview on Birth Words podcast
Birth Words

"Motherhood Has Never Been More Complicated — Here’s How to Simplify It" by Laura Donovan

She Knows
They Can't Make This Up History Podcast
Academic Minute: New Mother Challenges interview with Margaret Quinlan
Inside Higher Education - Academic Minute
"Experiencing the Unimaginable: Part II: Pregnancy loss," by Margaret M. Quinlan and Bethany Johnson 
Psychology Today
Under the Covers interview with Bethany Johnson
#more-1582 Under the Covers podcast
"Part III: When Someone Experiences the Unimaginable: Premature Birth and Child Loss" by Margaret M. Quinlan and Bethany Johnson
Psychology Today
"EPISODE 91: MARGARET QUINLAN BETHANY JOHNSON: SOCIAL MEDIA MOTHERING"
Mom Deconstructed Podcast
The Weekly Ritual interview with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan 
  The Weekly Ritual
Mable + Moxie interview with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan Mable + Moxie
"Postpartum During a Pandemic: Postpartum is already challenging. What about COVID-19?" by Margaret M. Quinlan and Bethany Johnson
#
=_ Psychology Today
"You’re doing it wrong: a conversation with Margaret Quinlan"
Expecting More
"The Story with Charu" interview with Margaret M. Quinlan
The Story with Charu podcast
"[You're Doing it Wrong!] made me stop to think about the advice I give and the unsolicited advice I receive. Reading the book also made me more mindful of instances where I’ve judged someone else for the parenting decisions they’ve made." Thistle Bee
"QC Life interview with Bethany Johnson and Dr. Margaret Quinlan"
QC Life
"You’re Doing It All Wrong – Quarantined Authors Part 1"
Puckermom, Part 1
"You’re Doing It All Wrong – Quarantined Authors Part 2"
Puckermom, Part 2
"You’re Doing It All Wrong – Quarantined Authors Part 3"
Puckermom, Part 3
"New Books Network - New Books in Gender Studies" interview with Bethany L. Johnson
%E2%80%AFmothering-media-and-medical-expertise-rutgers-up-2019/ New Books Network - New Books in Gender Studies
"“You’re Doing It Wrong!”: An Interview with Margaret M. Quinlan Bethany Johnson
Mutha Magazine
"Ep. 14 – Mothering: Are We Doing It Wrong? – Bethany Johnson Margaret Quinlan"
Mom After Hours podcast
"How Social Media Influences Your Motherhood with Authors Bethany Johnson and Maggie Quinlan of You're Doing it Wrong!"

  Generation Mom
"Mother Honestly podcast interview - The Historical Construction of Motherhood, Infertility, and Women’s Health with Dr. Margaret Quinlan (Ph.D)"
Mother Honestly podcast
"Episode 11: You're Doing It Wrong!"
Mighty Littles podcast
Dr. Wendy Walsh interview with Margaret M. Quinlan
Dr. Wendy Walsh
BYURadio, "Top of Mind with Julie Rose" - episoide "Belarus Protests, Conspiracy Theories, Mom-Shaming"
BYURadio, "Top of Mind with Julie Rose"
"A Conversation with Margaret M. Quinlan"
Literary Mama
"Most importantly, [Johnson and Quinlan] dedicate chapters to health scares that parents often face—surrounding preconception, fertility, pregnancy and birth, the postpartum period, infant loss, and early childhood rearing—and discuss how related medical, technical, and nontraditional (what the authors term 'lay expert') advice is frequently contradictory and confusing. What it means to be a good mother may be less clear in a socially opinionated environment that offers varied levels of expert advice; however, the pressure to be a good mother is quite transparent. Recommended."  Choice
"This book is the perfect marriage of research, personal experiences, and interviews. It is well-written, thoughtful, relatable, and most importantly — enjoyable to read! I appreciated how inclusive the writing is. It will surely make you stop to think about the advice you give and the unsolicited advice you receive. We could all be a little more mindful and less judgmental." LilHuman
WSGE Radio - "For Your Health and Wellbeing" interview  WSGE Radio - "For Your Health and Wellbeing"
The is Infertility podcast interview This is Infertility podcast
"Fresh Take: You're Doing It Wrong! (with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan)" What the Fresh Hell podcast
"It's Time to Leave the Term 'Pregnancy Brain' Behind" InStyle Magazine
"'People are at their breaking points' | Pandemic brings new obstacles for working mothers" WCNC Charlotte
"Our Society Has Been Shaming Moms For Centuries" interview with Bethany Johnson and Dr. Maggie M. Quinlan  Distraction Podcast (part 1)
"Save Your Advice and Offer Support Instead" interview with Bethany Johnson and Dr. Margaret M. Quinlan Distraction Podcast (part 2)
"Baby formula shortage leaves local parents scrambling" WSOC-TV

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About the Author

Bethany L. Johnson is an instructor in history and an associate member to the graduate faculty and research affiliate faculty in the department of communication studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
 
Margaret M. Quinlan is a professor of communication studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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More on this Book

New mothers face a barrage of confounding decisions during the life-cycle of early motherhood which includes... Should they change their diet or mindset to conceive? Exercise while pregnant? Should they opt for a home birth or head for a hospital? Whatever they ?choose,? they will be sure to find plenty of medical expertise from health practitioners to social media ?influencers? telling them that they?re making a series of mistakes. As intersectional feminists with two small children each, Bethany L. Johnson and Margaret M. Quinlan draw from their own experiences as well as stories from a range of caretakers throughout. You?re Doing it Wrong! investigates the storied history of mothering advice in the media, from the newspapers, magazines, doctors? records and personal papers of the nineteenth-century to today?s websites, Facebook groups, and Instagram feeds. Johnson and Quinlan find surprising parallels between today?s mothering experts and their Victorian counterparts, but they also explore how social media has placed unprecedented pressures on new mothers, even while it may function as social support for some. They further examine the contentious construction of prenatal and baby care expertise itself, as individuals such as everyone from medical professionals to experienced moms have competed to have their expertise acknowledged in the public sphere. Exploring potential health crises from infertility treatments to ?better babies? milestones, You?re Doing it Wrong! provides a provocative look at historical and contemporary medical expertise during conception, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and infant care stages.

Read more

Product Details

Publisher
Rutgers University Press
Published
19th April 2019
Pages
248
ISBN
9780813593784

Returns

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$80.39
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