Do Congressmen Have Mothers?

If you survey recent social-science literature, you will get the distinct impression that mothers are a modern invention. Intense mother-child bonds are something American culture dreamed up to trap women in the home; they can easily be dispensed with, or broadened to include men, other relatives, and the local day-care teacher. At different times, in different places, children have been raised in a variety of ways. Customs differ. Who are we to say ours are best?

As feminist anthropologist Maxine Margolis writes, “If such [an intense mother—child] relationship were in fact essential, we would . . . have to believe that mothers throughout the ages have failed their offspring and that only within the last 150 years in the United States and other Western industrialized societies have the psychological needs of children been met.”

About the Author

Maggie Gallagher

Maggie Gallagher is the author of four books on marriage and is a longtime contributor to National Review.

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If you survey recent social-science literature, you will get the distinct impression that mothers are a modern invention. Intense mother-child bonds are something American culture dreamed up to trap women in the home; they can easily be dispensed with, or broadened to include men, other relatives, and the local day-care teacher. At different times, in different places, children have been raised in a variety of ways. Customs differ. Who are we to say ours are best?

As feminist anthropologist Maxine Margolis writes, “If such [an intense mother—child] relationship were in fact essential, we would . . . have to believe that mothers throughout the ages have failed their offspring and that only within the last 150 years in the United States and other Western industrialized societies have the psychological needs of children been met.”