Maternal Scholars Australia Inc. is a non-profit organisation devoted to promoting research and discussion into mothers, mothering, and motherhood.
Who are we?
We are a network made up of Australian maternal scholars, researchers, postgraduate students, activists, advocates, educators, artists, creatives, and professionals. Learn about our committee members here.
What is our focus?
MSA is informed by a matricentric feminist perspective - a feminism for mothers - that recognises the ways an individual’s experience of being a mother is shaped by the broader social construction of Motherhood. As an organisation, our focus is on promoting research, discussion, and exploration of mothers’ experiences, how motherhood is socially constructed, the value of mother-work, and the practice of mothering. We recognise that women who are mothers face social, economic, political, cultural, and psychological experiences that are specific to their role as mothers, and that vary according to context, culture, and socioeconomic position. MSA supports article 2 of WDI - reaffirming the nature of motherhood as an exclusively female status.
Maternal Scholars Australia exists to facilitate a network of interdisciplinary connections between those interested in mothers, mothering and motherhood. We foster collaboration and conversation through an online newsletter, online meetings, and biennial conferences.
Maternal Scholars Australia Aims
-
Foster connections, collaborations, and conversation among those who are interested in motherhood and feminist mothering.
-
Promote research through scholarly and activist networks, the media, policy makers, and community workers.
-
Provide a platform for sharing research, writing, and reflections on motherhood and related areas.
“The category of mother is distinct from the category of woman and… many of the problems mothers face – social, economic, political, cultural, psychological, and so forth – are specific to women’s role and identity as mothers. Indeed, mothers are oppressed under patriarchy as women and as mothers.”
Andrea O’Reilly
Our history.
Maternal Scholars Australia, was previously named the Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (AMIRCI), and began as an Association for Research on Motherhood/Mothers/Motherwork (ARM-A).
ARM-A was established by Dr Marie Porter at the conclusion of the conference Theorizing and Representing Maternal Subjectivities held at the University of Queensland, Brisbane in October 2005. The organisation was named to reflect an alignment with ARM at York University, Toronto, led by Prof Andrea O’Reilly. In 2010, ARM changed their name to the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) and our organisation decided to change its name to the Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, to reflect this alliance and connection with MIRCI.
In 2019, MIRCI as a Canadian organisation shifted to the now Chicago-based IAMAS – the International Association for Maternal Action and Scholarship. AMIRCI decided to initiate a name change to reflect our organisation’s future and Australian base.