Reproductive disruptions: gender, technology and biopolitics in the new millennium

Abstract

This edited book has a social anthropological approach to what the editor and chapter authors call ‘reproductive disruption’ (i.e. the ‘norm’ not being followed for whatever reason). Within this title they include infertility, pregnancy loss, childbirth and beyond. There are eight chapters, in two parts, and an introduction that defines women's health and is divided into 12 themes, called ‘messages'. The underlying national approach is American (US) and, therefore, practices are not necessarily comparative with the UK. In fact, the underlying research is from Chicago; it is ethnographic, using participant observation, interviews and visits to medical facilities. However, what has been used in this book is mainly what has been published in two magazines: Fit Pregnancy and Mothering, plus one issue of Awake (a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet), the New York Times and a textbook on medical malpractice law. Formal interviews were undertaken with doctors and midwives and, additionally, informal interviews were undertaken with men, women and nurses. Despite the overall US perspective, pages 51–54 in Chapter 1 contain some international comparisons between developed and developing countries.