A superb historical and qualitative analysis that explores the
intersection of public and private definitions of fertility and
childlessness. May (American Studies/Univ. of Minnesota; Homeward
Bound, 1988, etc.) observes that in "a nation obsessed with
reproduction," Americans must reconcile the supposedly private
experience of parenting with public social norms. It is an
emotionally charged debate from all sides, and May believes that
public discussions about infertility "reflect not so much a concern
about children, but a preoccupation with parents: who should raise
the nations' future citizens." Using a wide range of voices culled
from 500 responses to her author's queries, May seeks to determine
how the personal dimension of childlessness has changed over time.
She argues that whereas American society once appreciated couples
without children as long as they contributed to larger community
enterprises, the childless now find themselves struggling for
respect. She discovers two trends: toward the growing preoccupation
with one's own reproductive capacity and the increased manipulation
of reproduction. The result in our pronatalist society is that,
despite the fact that having children is an economic drain rather
than an economic asset, many go to extremes to bear children,
enduring years of invasive hi-tech fertility treatments with no
guarantee of success. But while the majority of May's respondents
voiced similar goals (happiness, self-fulfillment, etc.), not all
saw bearing children as the path to achieving them. According to
May, as the public world gets more and more chaotic, individuals
will continue to turn to their private lives for happiness and
fulfillment, so the focus on children and who is fit to raise them
is not likely to ease any time soon. May's fertile analysis of
childlessness should be included as part of any inquiry into the
construction and meaning of family life. (Kirkus Reviews)
Chronicling the shifts in public attitudes towards reproduction,
this book traces attitudes from colonial times to the 1990s. In
colonial days barrenness was associated with sin, from here the
progression is traced to the laws of compulsory sterilization in
the early twentieth century, the baby craze of the 1950s, the rise
in voluntary childlessness in the 1990s, and the increasing
reliance on reproductive technologies. The author reveals the
intersection between public life and the most private part of life
- sexuality, procreation, and the family.
General
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