Birth as an American Rite of Passage

Abstract

Why do so many American women allow themselves to become enmeshed in the standardized routines of technocratic childbirth—routines that can be insensitive, unnecessary, and even unhealthy? This book is a second edition of the text. The new preface in this edition makes it clear that the issues surrounding childbirth remain as controversial as ever. The book analyzes the technocratic method of birth, its cultural variations and alternatives, and obstetric training and women's experiences in Western culture. It covers ritual and how it is used in obstetrics, and compares the technocratic and holistic paradigms of childbirth. The book demonstrates the linkages between American core values concerning technology and expertise, and prevailing obstetrical practices.

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