in progress
Definiton
Matricultures (pl.) are egalitarian cultures founded on the maternal values of relationality and care-giving that serve as ethical principles for all genders, for mothers and not-mothers. Matricultures elevate mothering as essential to re-generating culture and embed mothering in cosmological narratives. Mothers and grandmothers play a key role in identity formation and nurturing by transmitting first language and celebrating life stages. Matricultures typically govern by consensus and practice sharing economies. Women play a key role in food production and food sovereignty. This conceptualizations of matricultures builds on Passman (1983) who coined ‘matricultures’, Göttner-Abendroth (2012) who theorizes ‘matriarchies’, Gimbutas (1991) who coined ‘matristic’ (adj.) to combine the meanings of matrilineal, matrifocal, matricentric and egalitarian (Marler, 2006).
Dimensions of Matricultures include
- Regenerating as Power, Mothering as Sacred
- Egalitarianism (Susan Kent’s continuum theory)
- The Maternal in Cosmology
- Plurality: welcoming uniqueness and difference to strengthen the community
- Egalitarian Resource Sharing: Leaving no one behind
- Identity Formation: first language, first foods, first songs, first stories
