Katya Ev
(ekaterina vasilyeva)

Breast-feeding Project

 

Work Plan

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1. Literature research on phenomenology of breast-feeding and mother’s milk as a biopolitical liquid. Visual and iconographic research : ontology and classification of image representations in history(ies) of arts and culture studies. Develop a bibliography, idiographic research, contact scholars, arrange and classify references and materials. Research on current news : scan mass media publications of past 3 years. (09/21-01/22). Contact networks/ associations (I.e. The Global Breastfeeding Collective, Leche Ligue), legal specialist of Emptor research group, study breastfeeding laws.

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2. Around 30 (face-to-face) interviews with new mothers with diverse backgrounds on body labour of generating and giving milk (its physicality, temporality, spatiality). Find 3 maternity wards in a rural area, in an ethnically mixed area, an especially reputed one, and thus get in contact with mothers, during their breast-feeding information session. Onwards, get 5 testimonials of mothers on the in/exclusion from public/ professional contexts, logistics of breast-feeding. (09-12/21)

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3. On the basis of 1/ and 2/ establish (formulate) a intermediate mindmap: a body of most relevant theoretical constructs, symbolics, facts of life, recent news, performed semantics and legal 'truth' and image representations. Use interpretative analysis →

stage 10 real-life experiences and 3 improvisation sessions (with myself, a volonteer mother, performer PHD doctor Melanie Weill) to see reactions triggered by breast-feeding and mother milk as such in specific social/institutional contexts (i.e.museum opening, church etc.). Document these try-outs. 1/, 2/ and 3/ will then serve as a basis for working methods and tools for future work. (12/21-02/22)

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4. Write proposal for development grant (02/22)