Reproducing Women : Family, Health and Work Across Three Generations

Table of Contents

• 1 Womens Reproductive Lives ........................................................................................9 5
• 2 Relationships Mothers Daughters and Granddaughters in Two Families ..........................34 5
• 3 Becoming a Woman Learning about Menarche and Sex ...............................58 6
• 4 Becoming a Mother Moments of Conception Pregnancy and Birthing ............................................83 6
• 5 Being a Mother Motherwork Identity Work and Reproducing the Family .........................104 6
• 6 The Moment of Menopause Change and Transition in Womens Reproductive Lives ..............................127 7
• 7 Grandmothering and the Long Moment of Aging .........................................149 7
• 8 Experience and the Reproductive Lives of Women .......................................171 7
• Womens Reproductive Lives 9
• What Is a Womans Reproductive Life and Why Does It Matter 10
• Feminist Critiques of Reproductive Health Research 13
• Relational Moments in Womens Reproductive Lives 14
• Reproduction The Conceptual Framework 15
• Back to the Family 17
• Some Methodological Issues 20
• Location and Context 24
• Change and Continuity 25
• Values and Experience in Womens Reproductive Lives 26
• Outline of the Book 31
• Notes 33
• Relationships Mothers Daughters and Granddaughters in Two Families 34
• The S Family Sarah Susan Samantha 36
• Key Moments in the Family History 36
• Themes and Continuities in the S Family 37
• Three Generations of Connectivity and Difference in the S Family 46
• The H Family Hilda Hazel Helen 47
• Key Moments in the Family History 47
• Themes and Continuities in the H Family 48
• Themes within Families 56
• Note 57
• Becoming a Woman Learning about Menarche and Sex 58
• First Blood Young Womens Experience of Menarche and Menstruation 59
• From Rags to Tampons Change Over Time 60
• Where Does the Information Come From 61
• Menarche as the Transition to Womanhood 65
• Sex Education in Schools 67
• How Much Knowledge Do We Really Need 68
• Learning about Sex and Reproduction 69
• After Menarche What 70
• Mothers in Doubt 72
• Passing It On 75
• Religion in the Reproductive Lives of Women 78
• Conclusion 82
• Notes 82
• Becoming a Mother Moments of Conception Pregnancy and Birthing 83
• The Social Imperative to Become a Mother 83
• The Hierarchy among Mothers 86
• Resisting the Imperative to Become a Mother 89
• Knowledge and Use of Contraception 89
• Choosing to Terminate a Pregnancy 92
• The Desire to Conceive 93
• Accomplishing the Moment of Birthing 95
• Learning and Sharing Knowledge about Birthing 95
• Midwives and Nurses Contributions to the Moment of Birthing 97
• Physicians Contribution to the Moment of Birthing 99
• Conclusion 101
• Note 103
• Being a Mother Motherwork Identity Work and Reproducing the Family 104
• Mothering as Everyday Instrumental and Emotional Work 105
• Mothering Newborns The Work of Breastfeeding 107
• The Work of Mothering Young Children 110
• Motherwork and Older Children 114
• The Work of Ensuring Older Children Are Safe and Stay out of Trouble 114
• The Work of Raising Marriageable Children 116
• Mothering Older Adult Children with Families 120
• Mothering as Identity Work 122
• Conclusion 125
• The Moment of Menopause Change and Transition in Womens Reproductive Lives 127
• The Moment of Menopause 128
• The Medicalization of Menopause and Womens Aging 129
• Menopause as Socially Constructed 131
• Menopause in Social and Cultural Context 132
• Preparing for Menopause 134
• Experiencing Menopause Its Just Your Life Changes 137
• The End of Childbearing 141
• Facing the Challenges 142
• Challenge as a Concept 142
• Despite the Problems 142
• Conclusion 146
• Notes 148
• Grandmothering and the Long Moment of Aging 149
• The Demographics and Theories of Aging 150
• Womens Aging in a Rural Context 153
• Grandmothering 154
• Grandmothering as a Relational Moment 156
• Grandmothering as Identity 157
• Familial Transfers and Transactions 159
• The Care Work of Grandmothers 160
• The Reciprocal Caring Relationship 162
• Geographical Distance Emotional Closeness 163
• Age Difference Ideological Difference 165
• Conclusion 169
• Notes 170
• Experience and the Reproductive Lives of Women 171
• Reproductive Lives 173
• Relational Moments in Womens Reproductive Lives 174
• Time Place and Generation 177
• Notes 178
• References 179
• Acknowledgements 191
• Authors 192