Globalization and Childbirth

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Globalization and Childbirth Tiffany Condren GLT1 Task 111.6.1-11 Examples of Globalization’s Impact Prior to the twentieth century there had been very few studies conducted and very little interest from an anthropology point-of-view regarding childbirth and globalization. By the middle of the twentieth century, anthropologists began to study reproduction and the reproductive process. “Reproduction and the management of reproduction process are not simply biological; they are always culturally constructed in unique ways in diverse historical contexts. Van, H. C. (2003). In most societies, birth and the immediate post-partum period are considered to be a time of vulnerability for the mother and child – a time of ritual danger. In order to deal with this danger, people tend to produce a set of culturally specific practices and beliefs designed to manage this time of uncertainty (Davis-Floyd 1992). It is for this reason that childbirth is an excellent topic to show the impact of globalization. Circumstances Before and After Event Tamil Nadu is a poor community and traditional childbirth took place in the privacy of the home either alone, with an experienced family member, or with a midwife if available. In her research Van found that certain aspects of modernization had a large impact on childbirth in Tamil Nadu, which include the growth of the obstetric field, assistance in managing the pain of birth, developing companies aiming to spread a medical thought process for childbirth, as well as an international law to reduce the population in India. Van proposes that these aspects have changed the perspective of not only childbirth and reproduction, but also the women’s role and level of independence to make decisions regarding her body and her child. Due to the evolving knowledge and options to the general public, many women choose to
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