About

Mommy Blog Lines: Ta[l]king Care is authored by Jaqueline Mcleod Rogers and Fiona Joy Green from the University of Winnipeg located on Treaty One Territory, the lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, which is also the homeland of the Métis Nation. We are mothers of adult children and are also interested in exploring the ethics of mommy blogging. We all make decisions about protecting privacy, consciously or not. We want to offer space for open discussion and reflection on this decision making process.


Together we have co-written a blog about mothering and writing since 2011 and we continue enjoying the twists and turns of thinking through sharing, disclosure, and self-censoring in digital writing situations. As feminists, we are grappling with ways to invoke privacy values and boundary setting in a liberatory tradition that celebrates the female voice and the possibilities of self-expression.

 

As teachers / writers / scholars, we have a longstanding interest in the reflective, educative, and revelatory nature of personal writing. Does writing a parenting blog necessitate presenting news about close relations and relationships? What is frank and fair and what constitutes stepping over the line in talking about others? What are dangers of unsanctioned digital talk? Are there measures or flexible standards to guide how much to reveal about self and others, and how do these questions play out for bloggers with an online presence?

 

As long-time bloggers charting privacy matters, we’re positioned to observe how our questions about privacy change in relation to digital realities. Whereas in 2011 we were working with a model of self-disclosure and exposure online, our questions now grapple with concerns about the power of surveillance and tracking features that are built into digital technologies and that penetrate privacy in ways that exceed the exercise of personal control.


We’re hoping this blog serves as a place for communal discussion, where multiple voices can be spoken, listened to, and shared. We know you’re out there making decisions about parenting and telling. We hope to make our blog an interactive place where you can find space to share, reflect and come to terms with your own personal-privacy code which likely changes. You may hear the voices of others who share similar experiences and responses, or voices that offer different perspective or approaches.

 

We invite you to check out our posts and offer any comments or challenges you care to share!


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