New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Amanda Parrish Morgan, "Stroller" (Bloomsbury, 2022)
Nov 30, 2025
Amanda Parrish Morgan, an author and scholar specializing in parenting and culture, discusses her book *Stroller*, revealing fascinating insights about strollers as cultural symbols. She explores how these everyday objects reflect class and identity, the societal pressures of parenting, and the impact of social media on parenting philosophies. Morgan critiques modern anxieties surrounding safety and the role of technology, discussing how strollers represent both protection and pressure in the parenting journey. Her engaging perspectives highlight strollers as not just tools, but cultural narratives.
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Pushing Out While Keeping Close
- Strollers both push children into the world and keep them close, a tension laden with moral debate.
- Morgan argues this tension maps onto broader ideas about independence, attachment, and judgment of parenting choices.
Baby Gear As Status Signal
- Strollers and baby gear act as highly visible status markers and signals of belonging.
- Morgan describes wanting to convey other aspects of her identity beyond curated parenting appearances.
Products Patch Systemic Gaps
- American parenting uniquely commodifies solutions to systemic gaps, producing products like running strollers.
- Morgan links product-driven fixes to lack of public childcare and postpartum support.
