Fetal/Fatal Knowledge

16In an intimate and revealing ethnographic study, Sunil K. Khanna, Ph.D., reflects on his role during fieldwork in India as a "native" anthropologist, examines the historical and cultural underpinnings of son preference, and considers why this preference persists in a community exposed to the wider forces of globalization and urbanization. Khanna documents the availability and use of new reproductive technologies and abortion services, and he explores the cultural, ethical, and legal meanings attached to family building strategies involving prenatal sex identification and female-selective abortion. Through personal stories of the men and women in the rural village of Shahargoan and their experiences, this engaging book takes an in-depth look at patriarchy in a cross-cultural context, considers why government policies and regulations have been unsuccessful in curbing female feticide, and provides a foundation for effective community-based interventions and advocacy to improve the st16atus of women and girls.041. FIELDWORK ON A SENSITIVE ISSUE.Research versus Advocacy. My Experience of Fieldwork. Native Anthropologist. Entering Shahargoan. Long-term Fieldwork. A Changing Community. Applied Anthropology in a Changing World.2. SHAHARGOAN: "THE VILLAGE OF MY ANCESTORS".JAT Characteristics. The Story of Shahargoan. The Pre-1970s Period. Historical Legacy. 3. URBAN TRANSFORMATION: THE POST-1970S PERIOD.From Village to "Urban Agglomeration". The Rich and the Poor. The Conflict Within. Intensification of Gender Inequality. Urban Men and Rural Women. The Custom of Wearing the Veil (Purdah). Education, Identity, and Marriage. Traditional Marriage and Prestige. 4. POPULATION GROWTH AND "MISSING" GIRLS.India's Population: More Than One Billion People. National Population Policy. Family Planning in Shahargoan. Preferred Family Size. "Missing" Women. "Missing" Girls in Shahargoan. Opinions about "Missing" Girls.5. GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES AND LOCAL IMPLICATIONS."Miracle" Technology in Prenatal D04iagnostic Clinics. Precision Ultrasound Clinic. The Science of "Miracle" Technologies. Culture and "Miracle" Technologies. Ultrasonography in Shahargoan. "Misuse" or Choice.6. ACCESSING DIAGNOSTIC AND ABORTION SERVICES.Traditional Knowledge and Prenatal Sex Identification. The Influence of Family Planning Programs. Attitude and Behavior Differences Based on Socio-Economic Status. Finding Clinics and Doctors. Reliability Questioned and Rechecked. Male Feticide. Appropriate Timing for Fetal Sex Identification. Limitations of Survey Results. "Quick and Easy" Abortion. Birth Order and Prenatal Sex Identification. Managing Social and Psychological Stress. Morality and Resistance.7. LEGAL REGULATION.The Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation & Prevention of Misuse) Act. Consequences of Criminalization. "Quick and Cheap" Prenatal Sex Identification Tests. The "Costs and Benefits" of Criminalization. Sex-Selective Conception. Limitations of the Law and Future Projects.8. ADVOCATI04NG FOR CHANGE.Patriarchy and New Reproductive Technologies in Asia. "Missing" Girls in China. Comparing India and China. The Persistence of Patriarchy. Diffusion and Regulation of Technology. Morality versus Health. Government Programs. Community Based Strategies. Linking Policy with Communities.References.Index.