- International Breastfeeding Symbol
The International
Breastfeeding Symbol was created by Matt Daigle, agraphic artist and father. He created the symbol in response to a contest hosted by "Mothering" magazine. [ [http://www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/iconcontest/icon-winner.html Mothering Magazine Activism Alerts for Natural Family Living Advocacy ] ] The winner was chosen in November 2006 out of a total of more than 500 entries. [ [http://www.mothering.com/newsletter/pressrelease-nov06.html Mothering Press Release ] ] Daigle, who claims his wife and son were the inspiration behind the symbol, signed the symbol over to thepublic domain .Increasing cultural diversity and personal mobility have created a growing need for universal modes of communication. [ [http://www.hablamosjuntos.org/signage/symbols/default.symbols.asp :Hablamos Juntos : ] ] The International Breastfeeding Symbol was created in the style of the
AIGA symbol signs commonly seen in public places. These signs need to be designed carefully because they need to be understood at a glance by most people without written descriptions explaining what they mean. [ [http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/symbol-signs Symbol Signs: Society & Environment: AIGA ] ]The International Breastfeeding Symbol was created specifically to address the perceived problem of not having a universally accepted and understood symbol for breastfeeding available in public places. The modern iconography representing infancy usually involves artificial feeding or soothing objects, like a nurser bottle icon or pacifier symbol. [ [http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVOctNov99p107b.html LLLI | Breastfeeding Myths Perpetuated by Culture, Society and ] ] Nursing rooms traditionally use a
baby bottle symbol to designate what they are instead of a symbol of a mother nursing a child. The International Breastfeeding Symbol may be helpful in shifting the bottle-feeding cultural paradigm toward the biological norm of breastfeeding. [ [http://www.waba.org.my/wbw/wbw99/foldereng99.htm World Breastfeeding Week ] ] [ [http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/breastvbottle/scary.html normal is a scary word ] ] [ [http://www.uia.org/metaphor/metacom_bodies.php?k] ]
In July 2007, the International Breastfeeding Symbol site, a site dedicated to the new symbol, was launched.
References
#if: {colwidth|}| style="-moz-column-width:{colwidth}; -webkit-column-width:{colwidth}; column-width:{colwidth};" | #if: {1|}| style="-moz-column-count:{1}; -webkit-column-count:{1}; column-count:{1} ;" |>External links
* [http://www.breastfeedingsymbol.org/home/ The International Breastfeeding Symbol]
* [http://www.mothering.com/sections/action_alerts/iconcontest/icon-downloads.html Download a PDF of the International Breastfeeding Symbol]
* [http://www.mattdaigle.com/artistbio.html Matt Daigle Biography]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
