AMIRCI

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The Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (AMIRCI) is a national not-for-profit advocacy and research group (registered in the state of Queensland) [1] and consists of a network of scholars, writers, activists, policy makers, educators, artists and practitioners whose work explores the experience of women as mothers, mothering and motherhood. [2] [3]

Contents

The organisation was founded in 2005 as the Association for Research on Mothering — Australia (ARM–A) by academic, Dr Marie Porter. It was established as a sister organisation to the Canadian Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) which was founded by Professor Andrea O'Reilly at York University. [2] In 2010 the name was changed to AMIRCI [4] to match the Canadian organisation's name change to MIRCI. [5] In Canada, MIRCI partnered with Demeter Press to produce a journal and books on motherhood. [6] [7] MIRCI has since changed its name again to IAMAS — International Association of Maternal Action and Scholarship. Like its Canadian counterpart, AMIRCI is focused on developing a matricentric feminist movement [8] [9] through furthering research into motherhood and advocacy for mothers through connection, collaboration and conversation with mothers and feminist professionals. [10]

Following the success of a first conference in 2001, [11] the organisation was formed and since 2005 has hosted bi-annual motherhood conferences chaired by a variety of female experts in their field and covering topics such as, “Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation”, [12] “Feminism for Mothers”, and, “Negotiating Competing Demands: 21st Century Motherhood”. [13] Recent keynote speakers have included Professor Andrea O'Reilly on regretful motherhood, [14] Dr Petra Bueskens [15] on the failure of the welfare system to support single mothers, Dr Renate Klein on the misogyny of surrogacy, and Professor Eva Cox on the need for a Universal Basic Income. In earlier years notable speakers have included Jackie Huggins, Maurillia Meehan Archived 13 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine and Gracelyn Smallwood. In 2018, AMIRCI founder Dr Marie Porter was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her work as, "a researcher and advocate for the welfare of women and children". [16] [17]

Conferences showcase cross-disciplinary work with topics spanning pregnancy and childbirth, human rights violations through child removal, lactation, [18] mothering disabled children, [19] the failures of family law and the welfare system, [20] the impact of mothering on women's creative expression, representations of motherhood in literature and film and also feature performances and display of artwork such as a giant knitted placenta. [21] Leading Australian universities have hosted AMIRCI's conferences, including the University of Sydney, [22] RMIT, University of Melbourne, [23] University of Queensland, and La Trobe University in Melbourne. [24]

List of Conferences

2019 Beyond Mothering Myths:Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation, University of Sydney. [25] [26]

2017 A Feminism for Mothers [Symposium], Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Melbourne. [27]

2016 Negotiating Competing Demands: 21st Century Motherhood, 8th Australian International Conference, RMIT University, Melbourne. [28]

2014 Motherhood, Feminisms and the Future 7th Australian International Conference.RMIT University, Melbourne. [23]

2011 Mothers at the Margins 6th biennial Australian International Conference.The University of Queensland, Brisbane. [29]

2009 The Mother and History: Past and Present 5th biennial Australian International conference. The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

2007 The Mother: Images, Issues and Practices 4th biennial Australian International Conference. The University of Queensland, Brisbane. [30]

2005 Representing and Theorising Maternal Subjectivities 3rdAustralian International Conference. The University of Queensland, Brisbane. [31]

2002 Performing Motherhood: Ideology, Agency and Experience 2nd Australian International Conference. La Trobe University, Melbourne.

2001 Mothering:Power/ Oppression Inaugural biennial Australian International Conference.The University of Queensland, Brisbane. [11]

Publications

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References

  1. ↑ ASIC register search: Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement Incorporated Retrieved 14 August 2019
  2. 1 2 Kelso, Julie-Anne; Porter, Marie (2011). "Birthing and re-birthing Down Under: From ARM-A to AMIRCI". The 21st Century Motherhood Movement: Mothers Speak Out on Why We Need to Change the Way the World and How to do It. pp. 814–822. ISBN   978-0-9866671-1-4.
  3. ↑ "How women are working towards building an enlightened future for families". Women's Agenda. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  4. ↑ NZCO and ASIC. "Search Company and Other Registers". connectonline.asic.gov.au. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  5. ↑ "MIRCI" . Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement". jarm.journals.yorku.ca. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  7. ↑ "Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement MIRCI" . Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  8. ↑ Westervelt, Amy (26 May 2018). "Is motherhood the unfinished work of feminism?". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ "Ain't I a Feminist?: Matricentric Feminism, Feminist Mamas, and Why Mothers Need a Feminist Movement/Theory of Their Own". MUSEUM OF MOTHERHOOD. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  10. ↑ "November | 2013 | blue milk". Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  11. 1 2 Porter, Marie; O'Reilly, Andrea; Short, Patricia, eds. (2005). Motherhood: power and oppression. Toronto: Women's Press. ISBN   9780889614543.
  12. ↑ "CALL FOR PAPERS: Beyond Mothering Myths? Motherhood in the Age of Neoliberalism & Individualisation". Equality Rights Alliance. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  13. ↑ Convenor, Gender Institute; convenor.genderinstitute@anu.edu.au. "Negotiating competing demands: 21st century motherhood: call for papers". genderinstitute.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  14. ↑ "Babytalk: Feminism and Mothers". ABC Radio. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  15. ↑ "Mothers And Basic Income: The Case For An Urgent Intervention". New Matilda. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  16. ↑ "Queen's Birthday Honours recipients". www.theaustralian.com.au. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "Dr Marie Porter". It's An Honour. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  18. ↑ "Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - The Queensland Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia". www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  19. ↑ Robertson, Rachel (May 2014). "'Misfitting' mothers: Feminism, disability and mothering". Hecate. 40 (1): 7–19. Gale   A425902462.
  20. ↑ "08 Mar 2017 - Single Parent? SingleMum.com.au! | Support Events | Mother... - Archived Website". Trove. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ↑ Lucas, Rachael (12 May 2019). "Giant placenta art installation unveiled after two-year knitting project". ABC News. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  22. ↑ "Beyond Mothering Myths? Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation". www.ticketebo.com.au. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  23. 1 2 Rogers, Megan (2 September 2015). "Motherhood, feminisms and the future". Journal of Family Studies. 21 (3): 195. doi:10.1080/13229400.2015.1120979. S2CID   146416712. ProQuest   1756184400.
  24. ↑ "Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement - Conferences". mothering.org.au. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  25. ↑ "Beyond Mothering Myths Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation". 10times.com. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  26. ↑ ScienceDZ.Net. "Beyond Mothering Myths? Motherhood in an Age of Neoliberalism and Individualisation". www.sciencedz.net. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  27. ↑ "The Australian Women's and Gender Studies Association". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  28. ↑ "Negotiating Aboriginal motherhood/s in 21st century Australia | Amy Parkes | Request PDF". ResearchGate. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  29. ↑ Mothers at the Margins : Stories of Challenge, Resistance and Love. Raith, Lisa,, Jones, Jenny (Ethicist),, Porter, Marie. Newcastle upon Tyne. March 2015. ISBN   9781443879163. OCLC   913333457.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  30. ↑ Porter & Kelso (2010). Mother-Texts: Narratives and Counter-Narratives. UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN   9781443823456.[ page needed ]
  31. ↑ Kelso & Porter (2008). Theorising and Representing Maternal Realities. UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN   978-1847184566.[ page needed ]
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