Citation

Dao A, McMullin J. Med. Anthropol. 2019; 38(1): 15-29.

Affiliation

Department of Anthropology , University of California, Riverside , Riverside , California , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/01459740.2018.1482548

PMID

30081674

Abstract

Unintentional injury prevention research focuses on parental supervision as critical to reducing toddler injury. We examine how the promotion of childproofing-as a mode of supervision-sells mothers "peace of mind" while also increasing "intensive mothering" and the "privatization of risk." Drawing on the childproofing literature and meaning centered interviews with mothers of toddlers and childproofing business owners, we argue that the connection made by these groups between childproofing and "good parenting" ultimately obscures how this form of harm reduction economically and socially individualizes responsibility for child care.

Language: en

Keywords

United States; child supervision; intensive parenting; parenting culture; risk; unintentional injury