Kelly Oliver problematizes what we think of as a woman's "choice" as it relates to pregnancy, abortion, birth, and family planning in general in Chapter 3 of Philosophical Feminism and Popular Culture entitled "Pregnancy: Choice and Excess." Oliver is quick to note that for the vast majority of women in the world, the choice to start a family in the first place is not even really a choice due to financial conditions (Oliver 52). Hollywood, Oliver argues, romanticizes a woman's choice to have a baby after accidentally becoming pregnant. What is more troubling to me, though, is the cultural taboo surrounding abortion and the implication that having an abortion will be some sort of emotionally traumatic event for the pregnant person. If that is how popular media approaches the subject of abortion, how can a woman really have a right to choose if every cultural message tells her abortions are either immoral, last resort, emotionally taxing, or simply too expensive to go through with?
The rhetoric surrounding pregnancy is very problematic to me in regards to the choice of the woman. We say phrases like "She got pregnant," as if the act of getting pregnant is a one-person task. Assuming the pregnancy in the first place is the responsibility of solely the person with the uterus not only removes the existence of the second person involved, but also obfuscates the true complications of deciding to keep a baby after an accidental pregnancy. Oliver also discusses the rhetoric of "accidental" versus "unplanned" (Oliver 54). Debates like this put motherhood at odds with feminism, which I think is the biggest takeaway from Oliver's piece. The feminist rejection of forced motherhood does not necessarily constitute a rejection of motherhood in general. On the other hand, feminist pro-choice rhetoric is also not a rejection of maternity or maternal instincts. Cultural conversation surrounding pregnancy, motherhood, and abortion needs to change to realistically accommodate the very real choice that women face between having a fulfilling career and raising a family (which even in today's society is still the primary responsibility of the woman). The work-life balance many speak of is virtually impossible in a climate that treats abortion so contemptuously.
The rhetoric surrounding pregnancy is very problematic to me in regards to the choice of the woman. We say phrases like "She got pregnant," as if the act of getting pregnant is a one-person task. Assuming the pregnancy in the first place is the responsibility of solely the person with the uterus not only removes the existence of the second person involved, but also obfuscates the true complications of deciding to keep a baby after an accidental pregnancy. Oliver also discusses the rhetoric of "accidental" versus "unplanned" (Oliver 54). Debates like this put motherhood at odds with feminism, which I think is the biggest takeaway from Oliver's piece. The feminist rejection of forced motherhood does not necessarily constitute a rejection of motherhood in general. On the other hand, feminist pro-choice rhetoric is also not a rejection of maternity or maternal instincts. Cultural conversation surrounding pregnancy, motherhood, and abortion needs to change to realistically accommodate the very real choice that women face between having a fulfilling career and raising a family (which even in today's society is still the primary responsibility of the woman). The work-life balance many speak of is virtually impossible in a climate that treats abortion so contemptuously.
I agree with Rupsha, particularly on her comment about pregnancy and motherhood being at odds with feminism. The idea is that when a woman becomes a mother, her drives, imperatives, and energy is dedicated to the survival and well being of that child, rather than the perpetuation of gender equality and other such commitments. What this idea fails to take into account is that the common ideas surrounding motherhood are flawed in their own right, as pregnancy is often perceived as "something that happens to a woman" or "something she chose out of careful deliberation and extensive availability to opportunity." Neither of these situations is ever even often the case.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rupsha, particularly on her comment about pregnancy and motherhood being at odds with feminism. The idea is that when a woman becomes a mother, her drives, imperatives, and energy is dedicated to the survival and well being of that child, rather than the perpetuation of gender equality and other such commitments. What this idea fails to take into account is that the common ideas surrounding motherhood are flawed in their own right, as pregnancy is often perceived as "something that happens to a woman" or "something she chose out of careful deliberation and extensive availability to opportunity." Neither of these situations is ever even often the case.
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