You are 100% correct - there is a better way to promote change and support than extremism. This is true of any issue - be it political, social or economic.
I have found, in general about the extremists:
* there is much more heat than light in those discussions. Honestly, the amount of misinterpretation of science is astonishingly high. And the cherrypicking of studies is also prevailent. I find the same behavior in the anti-vax and anti-circ communities, both of which I avoid like the plague.
* on an average mothering.com lactivism thread, there may be 100 posts, 80 may be reasonable or rather inoffensive, 10 are borderline, and 10 are over the top insane. The insane ones tend to set the tone, unfortunately, and they are the ones that everyone responds to or remembers. (In addition, unfortunately, the way MDC is set up, members are not really encouraged to selfpolice the forums, so most of the moderation takes place behind the scenes).
* this is a broader symptom of the "one true path" extremism in parenting. Breastfeeding is particularly intense since a. the science is pretty clear about the benefits of breastfeeding when all else is held equal (and note - the health of mother and child trump breastfeeding - and it is sad that it even has to be said), b. the practices of formula companies really are undermining breastfeeding in many communities (and they cannot deny it since as for-profit compamnies, their goals are to increase market share) and have been significantly harmful over the past 30 or so years, c. we are experiencing a social revolution in social acceptance of breastfeeding - there is still a long way to go to create a pro-breastfeeding culture, and this causes a lot of intensity. While this intensity can be useful to create social change, it brings out the wack jobs too.
* some people want to be in the minority and fighting all the time. They like the self-righteousness and the feeling of prevailing against victimization. And they find issues to defend that allow them these feelings.
I do post on the lactivism board on mdc - mainly to try to have discussions about what we can do that is positive and productive. And to remind people that bashing formula feeders and formula != lactivism.
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Date: 2006-09-16 03:21 am (UTC)I have found, in general about the extremists:
* there is much more heat than light in those discussions. Honestly, the amount of misinterpretation of science is astonishingly high. And the cherrypicking of studies is also prevailent. I find the same behavior in the anti-vax and anti-circ communities, both of which I avoid like the plague.
* on an average mothering.com lactivism thread, there may be 100 posts, 80 may be reasonable or rather inoffensive, 10 are borderline, and 10 are over the top insane. The insane ones tend to set the tone, unfortunately, and they are the ones that everyone responds to or remembers. (In addition, unfortunately, the way MDC is set up, members are not really encouraged to selfpolice the forums, so most of the moderation takes place behind the scenes).
* this is a broader symptom of the "one true path" extremism in parenting. Breastfeeding is particularly intense since a. the science is pretty clear about the benefits of breastfeeding when all else is held equal (and note - the health of mother and child trump breastfeeding - and it is sad that it even has to be said), b. the practices of formula companies really are undermining breastfeeding in many communities (and they cannot deny it since as for-profit compamnies, their goals are to increase market share) and have been significantly harmful over the past 30 or so years, c. we are experiencing a social revolution in social acceptance of breastfeeding - there is still a long way to go to create a pro-breastfeeding culture, and this causes a lot of intensity. While this intensity can be useful to create social change, it brings out the wack jobs too.
* some people want to be in the minority and fighting all the time. They like the self-righteousness and the feeling of prevailing against victimization. And they find issues to defend that allow them these feelings.
I do post on the lactivism board on mdc - mainly to try to have discussions about what we can do that is positive and productive. And to remind people that bashing formula feeders and formula != lactivism.
Siobhan