(Kohler-Riessman article, p. 51, paragraph 2) "They [obstetricians] argued that normal pregnancy and parturition were the exception rather than the rule."
That's funny. So what's normal isn't really normal and what is deviant is really normal? Spreading this claim/belief is how authorities impose their power on others? What other cultural myths do we blindly take for granted? How is it that people fall for this clear logical fallacy time and time again? Obviously, the way in which the masses are controlled consists of more than that alone.
One method of establishments is arousing fear. Yes, in the case of childbirth there are risks, but are all of these real or perceived? Are we given misinformation for a doctor's profit? The fear of putting newborn in danger is legitimate, it's a priority, and certainly a something to take into account. However, the emotion of fear can be paralyzing and cause us to be passive to structured norms of operation (the status quo) and can bias us and cause us to filter out information that might clearly refute the status quo's claim. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." (FDR) Once we set the fear aside, it seemed like the main focus in today's class was technical, to find facts. The goal was to find the pros and cons of birthing in a hospital vs home, and in what circumstances one is better than the other. We ignored the concern for women's rights in the search for what was really beneficial for the baby, because the right to choice is an illusion. We arrive at a decisions using the information and experiences we have. In other words, if women are limited to the information available, the outcomes are the same whether women have more say or not. This would be a good project for outreach and spreading awareness.
~ John
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