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Othermother
An othermother is a woman caring for children who are not biologically her own.
Othermothers are women, including mothers, who provide care for children who are not biologically their own. The practice has been documented in Africa and the African diaspora, including in the United States and the Caribbean region. Rooted in West African tradition, othermothering can including child-rearing outside of the home, including in educational settings. It is also commonly multigenerational, with multiple othermothers for a single child.
In some regions, othermothering is known as "child fostering," though not in the strictly legal sense of foster care.
In Canada, othermothers are often found in multigenerational households or organizations and emphasize community approaches to caretaking. Canadian othermothers help introduce new members of the African diaspora to their surroundings and get people involved in Afrocentric community activism.
Black students in Canadian universities seek out othermother figures within the faculty, especially to serve as academic advisors for Afrocentric research, meaning Black women faculty members become responsible for students' intellectual, emotional, and physical well-being.
Although the term "othermother" is most commonly associated with Black women, the concept is also found in Latin America and its diaspora, which includes people of African heritage. In the Caribbean, the terms macoumere/MaComère and comadre are used in non-Anglophone communities.
Othermother characters are common in Caribbean literature, where they help provide multigenerational views of women's experiences. Othermother characters are also used to explore different types of motherhood and how mothering is affected by colonialism.
In Caribbean film, othermothering is used to critique U.S. approaches to family units and parenting, especially the idealized "nuclear family" that lacks the Caribbean region's "more complex structural relationships such as the concept and practice of the extended family or community involvement in parenting practices."
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Othermother
An othermother is a woman caring for children who are not biologically her own.
Othermothers are women, including mothers, who provide care for children who are not biologically their own. The practice has been documented in Africa and the African diaspora, including in the United States and the Caribbean region. Rooted in West African tradition, othermothering can including child-rearing outside of the home, including in educational settings. It is also commonly multigenerational, with multiple othermothers for a single child.
In some regions, othermothering is known as "child fostering," though not in the strictly legal sense of foster care.
In Canada, othermothers are often found in multigenerational households or organizations and emphasize community approaches to caretaking. Canadian othermothers help introduce new members of the African diaspora to their surroundings and get people involved in Afrocentric community activism.
Black students in Canadian universities seek out othermother figures within the faculty, especially to serve as academic advisors for Afrocentric research, meaning Black women faculty members become responsible for students' intellectual, emotional, and physical well-being.
Although the term "othermother" is most commonly associated with Black women, the concept is also found in Latin America and its diaspora, which includes people of African heritage. In the Caribbean, the terms macoumere/MaComère and comadre are used in non-Anglophone communities.
Othermother characters are common in Caribbean literature, where they help provide multigenerational views of women's experiences. Othermother characters are also used to explore different types of motherhood and how mothering is affected by colonialism.
In Caribbean film, othermothering is used to critique U.S. approaches to family units and parenting, especially the idealized "nuclear family" that lacks the Caribbean region's "more complex structural relationships such as the concept and practice of the extended family or community involvement in parenting practices."