HLTC02H3 Chapter Notes -Amniocentesis, Fetal Surgery, Biomedical Technology
Document Summary
Week # 9: precious cargo : fetal subjects, risk and reproductive citizenship. Pregnant women are being subjected to an intense ascetic regime of self- regulation and discipline of their bodies because they are now incubators of persons (fetuses) whose rights are seemingly privileged over that of the mothers themselves. This review article focuses on concepts of pregnancy, foetal personhood and risk. Pregnancy has moved from being a safe natural process to that which is medicalized, patholgized, and risk filled. Biomedical technology as well as neoliberal economic hegemony plays a part in this new social construction and parameter/paradigm. Pregnant women are singled out as bearing full responsibility for the health, wellbeing and development of their unborn children. Pregnant women should engage in reproductive asceticism (stringently monitor and control their body for the sake of their fetuses and they should do this out of motherly love)
