In search of authenticity

Concerning children

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Jon A. Lindseth Suffrage Collection, Rationalist Press Association

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Concerning Children reflects her innovative thinking on the social and economic construction of motherhood. In this volume, she takes on American society at its core principles: the betterment of our society through the development of our children. Gilman attacks our conventional model of child rearing, one based on obedience and discipline, rather than on the development of creativity and individuality. She responds to popular practices such as the corporal punishment of children, and proposes new and radical ways of child-rearing including social motherhood, which frees women to pursue careers. Presciently observing more than a century ago that it takes an entire village to raise a child, Gilman's Concerning Children is a must-read for anyone interested in gender and family studies.