“Suits To Self-Sufficiency”

摘要: In 1997 the women-run nonprofit organization Dress for Success opened its first location with aim of empowering low-income women by providing gently used suits job interviews. Drawing on eight months fieldwork in an affiliate office, we analyze cross-race and cross-class interactions between privileged volunteers clients to demonstrate emergence what term “neoliberal maternalism.” Historical forms maternalism—the mother-centric voluntarism aimed at assisting indigent families a century ago—emphasized women’s domesticity promoted earliest welfare provisions. We suggest that neoliberal maternalism, instead, works alongside retrenchment insisting single mothers become self-sufficient workers. Similar earlier maternalisms, benevolence affluent serves reinforce class race superiority while producing moments genuine care connection. argue all maternalism come related body politics aime...