Unpacking the Controversy of Trad Wives

This chapter explores the problematic ideology behind Trad Wives, revealing the conflicts it poses with feminist ideals and the societal factors that limit women's choices in adopting this lifestyle.

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In this week's episode, I further explore the ideology behind the increasingly popular 'tradwife' lifestyle and discuss how this term is now being misused against mommy vloggers and creators who post domestic life content. I also dive into the questions around Nara Smith, TikToks' buzziest creator at the moment, to better understand if her content really is Mormon tradwife propaganda, or simply innocent lifestyle content with a focus on home and family life (and cooking for her kids from scratch).

Episode on Gwen Swinarton: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2hQy5cyGOgPury7sWMgPOI

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Timestamps:

5:46 Who is Nara Smith?

6:35 What is a tradwife? Defining the term & exploring its ideology

20:20 Is a SAHM the same as a tradwife? How & why the internet is misusing this term

24:28 Exploring Nara Smith's background & content— is it Mormon and/or tradwife propaganda?

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/01/06/a-psychologist-explains-the-dangers-of-the-tradwife-movement/?sh=e50144179c3b

Proctor, D. (2023). The #Tradwife Persona and the Rise of Radicalized Domesticity. Persona Studies, 8(2), 7–26. https://doi.org/10.21153/psj2022vol8no2art1645

Leidig, E. (2023). The Making of a Tradwife. In The Women of the Far Right (pp. 89–122). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/leid21016-005

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-51113371

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/fringe-left-alt-right-share-beliefs-white-power-movement/672454/

https://theconversation.com/far-right-tradwives-see-feminism-as-evil-their-lifestyles-push-back-against-the-lie-of-equality-219000

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/31/white-supremacy-trad-wives-far-right-feminist-politics

https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/digital-culture/the-tradwife-trilogy-part-3-the-real-women-behind-the-tradwife-movement/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/opinion/sunday/tradwives-women-alt-right.html

https://www.salon.com/2019/07/14/alt-right-handmaidens-and-the-white-baby-challenge/

https://gnet-research.org/2023/07/07/tradwives-the-housewives-commodifying-right-wing-ideology/

https://people.com/tiktok-star-emily-mariko-is-married-7568389

https://www.tiktok.com/@fluentlyforward/video/7340014688714935583

https://www.pbs.org/mormons/themes/women.html

https://www.mormonstories.org/truth-claims/mormon-culture/women-in-mormonism/