In searching for a place of belonging and acceptance, a disabled mother often cannot locate her lived experience in the popular cultural images that she encounters. During this period of contemplation, I recalled Ursula Le Guin’s short story: “She Unnames Them” and realized that in many ways, the research I am conducting is searching for new language, new paths that may not yet exist, and most likely are not yet named. Part of this process of unnaming includes pulling back the layers of common language around mothers, mothering practice and society’s idea of what mothers look like (who mothers are). In understanding the theories on mothering, my actions including unnaming practice to open space for new dialogue.
In searching for a place of belonging and acceptance, a disabled mother often cannot locate her lived experience in the popular cultural images that she encounters. During this period of contemplation, I recalled Ursula Le Guin’s short story: “She Unnames Them” and realized that in many ways, the research I am conducting is searching for new language, new paths that may not yet exist, and most likely are not yet named. Part of this process of unnaming includes pulling back the layers of common language around mothers, mothering practice and society’s idea of what mothers look like (who mothers are). In understanding the theories on mothering, my actions including unnaming practice to open space for new dialogue.
