Ellie’s research and teaching draws on constructionist theories of social problems and sociological concepts such as ‘risk consciousness’ and ‘medicalisation’ to analyse the evolution of family policy and health policy. Her longest standing research area is abortion policy and service provision and more recently she has developed research projects about parenting. Her work explores why everyday issues – for example how mothers feed their babies - turn into major preoccupations for policy makers and become heated topics of wider public debate. She is the Director of the Centre for Parenting Culture Studies based in SSPSSR https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/parentingculturestudies/ and regularly discusses her research in the media and other public forums. Books she has authored and co-authored are 'Abortion Law and Politics Today' (Macmillan), 'Real Bodies' (Macmillan), 'Abortion, Motherhood and Mental Health: Medicalizing Reproduction in the U.S. and Britain' (Transaction) and Parenting Culture Studies (Palgrave). She was the series editor for the 'Debating Matters' book series, and has published articles in journals including Sociology of Health and Illness, Health, Risk and Society, Families, Relationships and Society and Social Science and Medicine. Phone: +44 01227 827526 Address: SSPSSR, Cornwallis East, University of Kent
Some people may be laughing when looking at you reading in your spare time. Some may be admired o... more Some people may be laughing when looking at you reading in your spare time. Some may be admired of you. And some may want be like you who have reading hobby. What about your own feel? Have you felt right? Reading is a need and a hobby at once. This condition is the on that will make you feel that you must read. If you know are looking for the book enPDFd abortion motherhood and mental health as the choice of reading, you can find here.
The term ‘helicopter parent’ has become highly visible in public and professional commentary abou... more The term ‘helicopter parent’ has become highly visible in public and professional commentary about parenting and in culture more generally, notably in North America and the UK. A small body of sociological work has highlighted the paradox of this phenomenon, given by often dramatized expressions of concern with ‘excessive’ parental involvement with children associated with the term, within a culture of intensive parenting. This article builds on this work in two ways. We situate the now ubiquitous description of parental mistakes as ‘helicoptering’ by discussing discursive antecedents of the present label found in 20th century terminology such as ‘overparenting’, ‘smothering’ and ‘coddling’, noting their co-existence with accounts of ‘bad mothers’ as distant and uninvolved. Second, through analysis of the term ‘helicopter parent’ in the British news media in the late 20th and 21st centuries, we assess how present concerns with parental proximity to children are constructed. We found...
Counselling has become an increasingly central – and sometimes mandatory – part of the provision ... more Counselling has become an increasingly central – and sometimes mandatory – part of the provision of infertility treatment services in the UK, although its role is not always clearly defined. In a recent research project, we interviewed 66 staff, with different roles at 20 clinics that provide infertility treatment services (around one quarter of the total). Our research offered some interesting insights into the role of counsellors in this process.
An expanding policy framework aimed at monitoring alcohol consumption during pregnancy has emerge... more An expanding policy framework aimed at monitoring alcohol consumption during pregnancy has emerged. The primary justification is prevention of harm from what is termed ‘prenatal alcohol exposure’ (PAE), by enabling more extensive diagnosis of the disability labelled fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Here we focus on proposals to include biomarkers as a PAE ‘screening tool’, specifically those found in meconium (the first newborn excrement), which are discussed as an ‘objective’ measure of PAE.We ask the overarching question, ‘Can routine screening of meconium to establish PAE be ethically or legally justified’, and we answer, ‘No’. To reach this conclusion, we discuss three areas. First, we consider the reasons why meconium screening should not be deemed ‘typical’ within the scope of accepted screening tools. We argue that given the aim and necessary timing of the screen, it cannot achieve what it promises. Second, we outline why patient autonomy and consent are not properly a...
The way mothers feed their babies is, internationally, the subject of research, health policy ini... more The way mothers feed their babies is, internationally, the subject of research, health policy initiatives, and popular discussion, which commonly affirm the mantra 'breast is best'. On one level, this mantra reflects scientific evidence about nutrition and maternal and infant health. From a socio-cultural perspective, the pro-breastfeeding message has, however, been considered an aspect of morality, which influences maternal identity in important ways. This article explores this idea. It does so primarily by reporting and discussing some findings from a study about British mothers' experiences of using formula milk for infant feeding. The paper begins by contextualising this discussion by briefly outlining some aspects of the construction of infant feeding as a social problem in Britain, focusing in particular on the influence of 'the new paradigm of health'.
Some people may be laughing when looking at you reading in your spare time. Some may be admired o... more Some people may be laughing when looking at you reading in your spare time. Some may be admired of you. And some may want be like you who have reading hobby. What about your own feel? Have you felt right? Reading is a need and a hobby at once. This condition is the on that will make you feel that you must read. If you know are looking for the book enPDFd abortion motherhood and mental health as the choice of reading, you can find here.
The term ‘helicopter parent’ has become highly visible in public and professional commentary abou... more The term ‘helicopter parent’ has become highly visible in public and professional commentary about parenting and in culture more generally, notably in North America and the UK. A small body of sociological work has highlighted the paradox of this phenomenon, given by often dramatized expressions of concern with ‘excessive’ parental involvement with children associated with the term, within a culture of intensive parenting. This article builds on this work in two ways. We situate the now ubiquitous description of parental mistakes as ‘helicoptering’ by discussing discursive antecedents of the present label found in 20th century terminology such as ‘overparenting’, ‘smothering’ and ‘coddling’, noting their co-existence with accounts of ‘bad mothers’ as distant and uninvolved. Second, through analysis of the term ‘helicopter parent’ in the British news media in the late 20th and 21st centuries, we assess how present concerns with parental proximity to children are constructed. We found...
Counselling has become an increasingly central – and sometimes mandatory – part of the provision ... more Counselling has become an increasingly central – and sometimes mandatory – part of the provision of infertility treatment services in the UK, although its role is not always clearly defined. In a recent research project, we interviewed 66 staff, with different roles at 20 clinics that provide infertility treatment services (around one quarter of the total). Our research offered some interesting insights into the role of counsellors in this process.
An expanding policy framework aimed at monitoring alcohol consumption during pregnancy has emerge... more An expanding policy framework aimed at monitoring alcohol consumption during pregnancy has emerged. The primary justification is prevention of harm from what is termed ‘prenatal alcohol exposure’ (PAE), by enabling more extensive diagnosis of the disability labelled fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Here we focus on proposals to include biomarkers as a PAE ‘screening tool’, specifically those found in meconium (the first newborn excrement), which are discussed as an ‘objective’ measure of PAE.We ask the overarching question, ‘Can routine screening of meconium to establish PAE be ethically or legally justified’, and we answer, ‘No’. To reach this conclusion, we discuss three areas. First, we consider the reasons why meconium screening should not be deemed ‘typical’ within the scope of accepted screening tools. We argue that given the aim and necessary timing of the screen, it cannot achieve what it promises. Second, we outline why patient autonomy and consent are not properly a...
The way mothers feed their babies is, internationally, the subject of research, health policy ini... more The way mothers feed their babies is, internationally, the subject of research, health policy initiatives, and popular discussion, which commonly affirm the mantra 'breast is best'. On one level, this mantra reflects scientific evidence about nutrition and maternal and infant health. From a socio-cultural perspective, the pro-breastfeeding message has, however, been considered an aspect of morality, which influences maternal identity in important ways. This article explores this idea. It does so primarily by reporting and discussing some findings from a study about British mothers' experiences of using formula milk for infant feeding. The paper begins by contextualising this discussion by briefly outlining some aspects of the construction of infant feeding as a social problem in Britain, focusing in particular on the influence of 'the new paradigm of health'.
Lee E. (1996) Marxism and feminist theory. In: Wolton S. (eds) Marxism, Mysticism and Modern Theory. St Antony’s Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London., 1996
Questioning old assumptions is central to much feminist thought today. In the past feminism relie... more Questioning old assumptions is central to much feminist thought today. In the past feminism relied on the assumption that all women had something in common. In current feminist literature, by contrast, it is suggested that to talk of ‘woman’ is problematic. The idea that women can be discussed in general, as a group in society with something in common, is said no longer to hold.
Keywords Modern Theory Feminist Theory Capitalist Society Marxist Theory Feminist Thought
Why have the minutiae of how parents raise their children become routine sources of public debate... more Why have the minutiae of how parents raise their children become routine sources of public debate and policy making? This book provides in-depth answers to these features drawing on a wide range of sources from sociology, history, anthropology and psychology, covering developments in both Europe and North America.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Jan 1, 2000
In March 2000, the British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, with the support of... more In March 2000, the British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, with the support of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom, produced a guideline for its members on the care of women seeking abortion. It states that abortion should be considered a health ...
... Divisions: Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Social Polic... more ... Divisions: Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Social Policy Sociology and Social Research. ID Code: 25240. Deposited by: Ellie Lee. Deposited on: 09 Aug 2010 17:09. Last Modified: 09 Aug 2010 17:09. Repository staff only: item control page. ...
... A matter choice matter choice Explaining national variation teenage abortion and motherhood E... more ... A matter choice matter choice Explaining national variation teenage abortion and motherhood Ellie Lee Steve Clements Roger Ingham and Nicole Stone The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has supported this project part its programme research and innovative development ...
1.1 Over the last twenty years, 'parenting' has emerged... more 1.1 Over the last twenty years, 'parenting' has emerged as a concept in both the US and the UK, to characterise the activity that parents do in raising children (Hoffman nd). According to Hoffman, 'parenting' the transformation of the noun 'parent' into a verb 'to parent' is a ...
Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 2012
... As evidence developed to suggest little difference in health be-tween breastfed and ... Regar... more ... As evidence developed to suggest little difference in health be-tween breastfed and ... Regardless of its nutritional merits, supervised bottle feeding made doctors central to babies ... On Science and American Social Thought, the constantly shifting equilibrium between secular and ...
Abortion is one volume in a series of fifteen collections of articles, under the general theme of... more Abortion is one volume in a series of fifteen collections of articles, under the general theme of bioethics, with Michael Freeman of the Faculty of Laws, University College London, as series editor. Other titles include Death, Dying and the Ending of Life, Genetics and Gene ...
Clearly one of the strengths of this research monograph is that it addresses both theoretical as ... more Clearly one of the strengths of this research monograph is that it addresses both theoretical as well as policy issues in an area of activity in which regulation is of vital concern. The offshore oil and gas industry has one of the worst accident records of any industry. Mundane ...
According to American sociologist Donald Downs, we are now living in a 'syndrome... more According to American sociologist Donald Downs, we are now living in a 'syndrome society'. One of the striking features of our time is the rapidly expanding list of syn-dromes said to afflict more and more people. A search of the index at the British Library produces references to ...
This literature review was written to help inform the design of a new study for the Food Standard... more This literature review was written to help inform the design of a new study for the Food Standards Agency with the following objectives: • To assess whether infants under 6 months are being fed follow-on formula milk and if so, the reasons why; • To assess whether the new controls upon the ways in which follow-on formula milk are presented and advertised have been effective; and • To draw conclusions about what changes, if any, could be made to the presentation and advertising of infant / follow-on formula. The primary objective of this review was to summarise what existing research tells us about these issues, i.e. what studies indicate about: the incidence of use of follow-on formula milk for feeding infants under six months of age; understanding among those responsible for feeding babies (parents in particular) about use of follow-on formula milk; and the relation between advertising of follow-on formula milk and infant feeding practices.
Résumé
Le terme « parent hélicoptère » est aujourd’hui très présent dans les discours public et p... more Résumé Le terme « parent hélicoptère » est aujourd’hui très présent dans les discours public et professionnel sur l’éducation des enfants, ainsi que dans la culture de façon plus générale, particulièrement en Amérique du Nord et au Royaume-Uni. Un petit nombre de travaux sociologiques ont mis en évidence le caractère paradoxal de ce phénomène, qui réside dans une inquiétude souvent exagérée envers l’investissement « excessif » de ces parents dits « hélicoptères » auprès de leurs enfants, au sein même d’une culture de la parentalité intensive. Cet article développe ces travaux de deux manières. Nous resituons d’abord l’utilisation désormais omniprésente du terme « parent hélicoptère » et les qualificatifs qui y sont associés en examinant ses antécédents discursifs dans la terminologie du XXe siècle — comme l’overparenting (surparentalité), le smothering (parent poule ou parent qui couve) ou le coddling (dorlotement) — et en soulignant leur coexistence avec les récits de « mauvaises mères », considérées comme distantes et non impliquées. Ensuite, en analysant l’utilisation du terme helicopter parent faite dans les médias britanniques depuis la fin du XXe siècle, nous analysons comment se construisent les préoccupations actuelles concernant le surinvestissement des parents dans l’éducation de leurs enfants. Nous avons observé que les thèmes les plus récurrents de la couverture médiatique concernaient l’amour parental qui a mal tourné (gone wrong), la pression parentale (parental pushiness), ainsi que la classe sociale du parent hélicoptère. Notre analyse suggère que l’expression « parent hélicoptère » peut être mieux comprise comme un aspect du langage vernaculaire du XXIe siècle qui exprime une certaine aversion envers les résultats perçus d’une parentalité intensive, mais qui laisse intactes les prémisses concernant la responsabilité parentale en matière de pathologies individuelles et sociales. Nous concluons que, pour les sociologues, une caractéristique importante du parent hélicoptère est qu’il est généralement perçu comme un parent « à problèmes » issu de la classe moyenne, et nous suggérons que cette construction de l’origine sociale des défaillances parentales est une question importante à prendre en considération à l’avenir dans les études sur la culture de la parentalité.
Abstract The term ‘helicopter parent’ has become highly visible in public and professional commentary about parenting and in culture more generally, notably in North America and the UK. A small body of sociological work has highlighted the paradox of this phenomenon, given by often dramatised expressions of concern with ‘excessive’ parental involvement with children associated with the term, within a culture of intensive parenting. This article builds on this work in two ways. We situate the now ubiquitous description of parental mistakes as ‘helicoptering’ by discussing discursive antecedents of the present label found in 20th century terminology such as ‘overparenting’, ‘smothering’ and ‘coddling’, noting their co-existence with accounts of ‘bad mothers’ as distant and uninvolved. Second, through analysis of the term ‘helicopter parent’ in the British news media in the late 20th and 21st centuries, we assess how present concerns with parental proximity to children are constructed. We found the most prominent themes in media coverage to be parental love ‘gone wrong’, parental ‘pushiness’, and the class position of the helicopter parent. We suggest our analysis shows the ‘helicopter parent’ can be best understood as an aspect of 21st century vernacular, expressing recoil at the perceived outcomes of intensive parenting, but leaving its basic premises regarding parental culpability for individual and social pathologies intact. We conclude that, for sociologists, an important feature of the helicopter parent term is the characterisation of problem parents as middle class and suggest this construction of the cause of parental deficiencies is an important concern for the study of parenting culture going forward.
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Keywords
Modern Theory Feminist Theory Capitalist Society Marxist Theory Feminist Thought
Le terme « parent hélicoptère » est aujourd’hui très présent dans les discours public et professionnel sur l’éducation des enfants, ainsi que dans la culture de façon plus générale, particulièrement en Amérique du Nord et au Royaume-Uni. Un petit nombre de travaux sociologiques ont mis en évidence le caractère paradoxal de ce phénomène, qui réside dans une inquiétude souvent exagérée envers l’investissement « excessif » de ces parents dits « hélicoptères » auprès de leurs enfants, au sein même d’une culture de la parentalité intensive. Cet article développe ces travaux de deux manières. Nous resituons d’abord l’utilisation désormais omniprésente du terme « parent hélicoptère » et les qualificatifs qui y sont associés en examinant ses antécédents discursifs dans la terminologie du XXe siècle — comme l’overparenting (surparentalité), le smothering (parent poule ou parent qui couve) ou le coddling (dorlotement) — et en soulignant leur coexistence avec les récits de « mauvaises mères », considérées comme distantes et non impliquées. Ensuite, en analysant l’utilisation du terme helicopter parent faite dans les médias britanniques depuis la fin du XXe siècle, nous analysons comment se construisent les préoccupations actuelles concernant le surinvestissement des parents dans l’éducation de leurs enfants. Nous avons observé que les thèmes les plus récurrents de la couverture médiatique concernaient l’amour parental qui a mal tourné (gone wrong), la pression parentale (parental pushiness), ainsi que la classe sociale du parent hélicoptère. Notre analyse suggère que l’expression « parent hélicoptère » peut être mieux comprise comme un aspect du langage vernaculaire du XXIe siècle qui exprime une certaine aversion envers les résultats perçus d’une parentalité intensive, mais qui laisse intactes les prémisses concernant la responsabilité parentale en matière de pathologies individuelles et sociales. Nous concluons que, pour les sociologues, une caractéristique importante du parent hélicoptère est qu’il est généralement perçu comme un parent « à problèmes » issu de la classe moyenne, et nous suggérons que cette construction de l’origine sociale des défaillances parentales est une question importante à prendre en considération à l’avenir dans les études sur la culture de la parentalité.
Abstract
The term ‘helicopter parent’ has become highly visible in public and professional commentary about parenting and in culture more generally, notably in North America and the UK. A small body of sociological work has highlighted the paradox of this phenomenon, given by often dramatised expressions of concern with ‘excessive’ parental involvement with children associated with the term, within a culture of intensive parenting. This article builds on this work in two ways. We situate the now ubiquitous description of parental mistakes as ‘helicoptering’ by discussing discursive antecedents of the present label found in 20th century terminology such as ‘overparenting’, ‘smothering’ and ‘coddling’, noting their co-existence with accounts of ‘bad mothers’ as distant and uninvolved. Second, through analysis of the term ‘helicopter parent’ in the British news media in the late 20th and 21st centuries, we assess how present concerns with parental proximity to children are constructed. We found the most prominent themes in media coverage to be parental love ‘gone wrong’, parental ‘pushiness’, and the class position of the helicopter parent. We suggest our analysis shows the ‘helicopter parent’ can be best understood as an aspect of 21st century vernacular, expressing recoil at the perceived outcomes of intensive parenting, but leaving its basic premises regarding parental culpability for individual and social pathologies intact. We conclude that, for sociologists, an important feature of the helicopter parent term is the characterisation of problem parents as middle class and suggest this construction of the cause of parental deficiencies is an important concern for the study of parenting culture going forward.