BECKER, Gay, HEALING THE INFERTILE FAMILY: Strengthening Your Relationship in the Search for Parenthood
| Autor: | Lisa K. Waldner |
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| Rok vydání: | 2000 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Comparative Family Studies. 31:295-296 |
| ISSN: | 1929-9850 0047-2328 |
| DOI: | 10.3138/jcfs.31.2.295 |
| Popis: | BECKER, Gay, HEALING THE INFERTILE FAMILY: Strengthening Your Relationship in the Search for Parenthood. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997, 333 pp., $15.95 softcover. Author Gay Becker is a medical anthropologist interested in the processes couples use to identify, react, and eventually cope with their infertility. In this updated version of the popular ethnography Healing the Infertile Family, the author uses her own personal understanding of infertility to guide her as she interviews several couples over the course of two different studies. The updated version incorporates information gleaned from interviewing one hundred and thirty-four couples and nine women without partners over the course of two years. This book can be divided into three parts. In part one the author notes the importance gender plays in identifying couples how male and female partners cope and resolve infertility. Part two contains many practical suggestions for couples who are struggling with the difficulty of having a child. The final section of the book discusses the role of popular ethnography. In the introduction, Becker poses several research questions including how persistent are gender differences in men and women's response to infertility, how disruptive is infertility, and finally, how does the use of medical technology affect experiences with infertility. Gender differences in perceiving and responding to infertility are discussed within the context of culturally defined gender roles. Chapter One discusses how fertility is tied to identity and even conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The main points of Chapter Two center on how men and women view the process of trying to become pregnant differently. Women set deadlines for becoming pregnant but become more flexible as time passes. Men may not initially feel constrained by time because they can express their masculinity through a provider role, The different ways that men and women deal with the disruption of their identities is the theme of Chapters Three and Four. According to Becker, a woman's identity is closely tied to her ability to reproduce. Infertility interferes with a positive definition of self, creating a more negative view of her body. Because women equate fertility with nurturing, infertility interferes with her ability to express her culturally defined primary role. Men also are impacted by infertility because the ability to procreate is central to definitions of masculinity and ultimately, his sexuality. Men's reactions to infertility are often determined by whether he is the primary reason for the couple's infertility. This is not the case for women who see infertility as a shared problem. Much of the book focuses on how infertility impacts the couple's relationship with themselves and others. … |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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