Chapter 11 blog

Chapter 11 begins by asserting that parenthood is a lifelong commitment and that even though it seems that we today are freer to make a decision about being a parent, we face more complicated choices about parenting than in the past. This chapter deals with the biological, economic, and social aspects of becoming a parent, or not becoming a parent. There are four types of reactions to the discovery of a pregnancy within couples. These include 1) planners who have, as a couple, decided to have a child, 2) acceptance-of-fate couples who are quietly surprised even though there was no planning involved, 3) ambivalent couples who have mixed feelings about the pregnancy, and finally 4) yes-no couples in which one partner may or may not want children. There are of course both costs and benefits involved with having children and these pros and cons are often weighed by prospective parents. In addition, the chapter points out that often married couples experience a dip in marital satisfaction within a year after the birth of their first child, whereas couples without children experience a steady decline in marital satisfaction. There are some negative effects associated with becoming a mother. Besides the added on stress of having a newborn to care for, conditions such as the post partum blues and the more serious problem postpartum depression can occur. The next section of the chapter looks at fertility rates and that factors that affect them. There are both macro and micro level influences on fertility rates. Some macro level influences include population growth, improvements in contraceptive methods and more opportunities for women within education. Some micro level factors include our own personal sexual practices and birth spaces. The chapter points out some factors that have been used to explain why many people are postponing parenthood. Some of these factors include overwhelming careers, increases in number of single women, saving money, economic recessions and unemployment and lackluster family leave policies. The chapter continues with a discussion of infertility, which is defined as the inability to conceive a baby. Infertility is found in both males and females and usually results in devastation in both couples. There are multiple solutions to infertility. The first, and most traditional is adoption whereby a child is taken into one’s family through legal means and raising her or him as one’s own. There are three types of adoptions identified by the chapter. These are: open, semi open and closed. The pros and cons of each are listed in table 11.1 on page 304. The other (next?) solution to fertility are medical and high-tech. Some of the medical treatments include artificial insemination, and fertility drugs. Some of the high-tech treatments for fertility include assisted reproductive technology treatments, In vitro fertilization (IVF), prenatal testing, and surrogacy. The next concept discussed is abortion. According to chapter, 33% of U.S. women will have had an abortion by age 45. Figure 11.6 outlines some different statistics involved with who gets an abortion. The book notes that rates of abortion have decreased and cites some reasons why this may be. These reasons include changing attitudes about abortion, availability of emergency contraceptives, decrease in abortion clinics, and restrictive laws and policies. The book concludes by pointing out that some people remain childless by choice.

Something New/Interesting

Something new that I learned was that some associations oppose transracial adoptions and argue that they are detrimental to the black child.

Discussion Point

In 2006 the infant mortality rate in the U.S. was 6.9 and was we were ranked 29^th in the world. Why do you think the US has such a high infant mortality rate? Could it be something to do with the increasing inequality seen between the very wealthy and the very poor? Can you link the recent occupy wall-street movement to this phenomenon?  

-Ali Mosser