With Mother’s Day almost upon us, we took the opportunity to sift through the many mentions of mothers in our archives.

Gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight).  Jason Sullivan contrasts the North American attitudes to women’s choices in sex and love with those of Sweden.  “In the education system, women are taught to fulfill themselves in whatever areas they are gifted; the Swedish state has never assumed that the only gift a woman can give her country is a brood of youngsters. She might prefer to be an airplane mechanic, an author, or an architect.”  Eras in Education – Love is a Battlefield: Less so in Sweden, September 18, 2009.

Mothers’ little helpers.  Jason Sullivan again, this time examining the “special friend” relationships that help guide young girls into womanhood in Lesotho.  “The mummy-baby institution also provided a valuable educational purpose because in Lesotho it was taboo for mothers to talk to their daughters about sex. Without their “mummy” to learn from, young women would have to learn valuable life skills by trial and error.”  Eras in Education – ‘Mummy-Baby’ Relationships in Lesotho: Learning About Loving, October 23, 2009.