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To learn about the birth process, the pregnant female and her male partner attend educational classes for several weeks when they train in various exercises.
At the classes the male and female gain the temporary support of a community of other expectant mothers and fathers. After the baby is born, it is unlikely that the male and female will continue to associate with the other community members.
When the contractions begin the male drives the female to a building where medical procedures are carried out.
On their way to hospital, the couple perform breathing exercises.
At the hospital the woman is put in a wheelchair.
The woman is taken to a white, brightly lit room and hooked up to an IV drip.
The doctor, whom the woman and man don't know very well, administers some painkillers.
The doctor believes that the labour is taking too long so he speeds it up with an injection.
A nearby machine notifies the doctor of the moments when the woman should push.
The male stays at the female's side.
The woman gives birth lying flat on her back.
The doctor announces the sex of the baby. The new mother and father cry.
Soon afterwards the baby is taken away and put in a large room with other babies.
Does this sound like a ritual to you, or is it 'just normal'? Some of the experiences of the male and female in the above scenario may seem normal and obvious, but it could be suggested that many of them are a result of Western culture. Consider how Western culture may have influenced the ritual you have just read.
| The ritual | Questions to think about |
|---|---|
| The man and woman do breathing exercises together. The man drives the woman to hospital. | Why does the woman choose to do her exercises with a man and not with an experienced female friend or her mother? Could this suggest that, in Western culture, there is a close and dependent relationship between a romantically involved couple? Could it also suggest that maternal relationships or friendships are not as important? |
| The woman is put in a wheelchair, even though she can walk. | Why is the woman put in a wheelchair, when she is capable of walking? Could it suggest that Westerners believe pregnant women are weak or sick? Could it suggest that Westerners expect an institution to take control and to look after them? |
| The woman is hooked up to an IV drip and some monitors. | Could this suggest that Westerners place a high importance on technology? Could the drip also be a symbolic umbilical chord tying the mother to the institution – and thus technology is giving birth, not the mother? |
| The man stays by the woman's beside. | Why are the mother and other members of the family not present? Could this suggest that the Western definition of 'immediate family' is very narrow? |
| The doctor speeds up the birth. A machine tells him when the woman should push. | Why did the doctor rely on technology rather than on the woman's natural rhythms? Could this mean that Westerners trust in technology more than they do in themselves? |
| The woman gives birth on her back with the doctor standing over her. | Why does the woman give birth lying flat on her back when squatting or sitting is perhaps more comfortable? Could it again suggest that Westerners believe that pregnant women are sick and powerless and the institution is in control? |
| The gender of the baby is announced, even though the parents have already discovered the baby's sex when they had one of many unnecessary ultrasounds. | Could this suggest that Western culture places high significance on gender? |
| The baby is taken away and put in a large room. | Could this suggest that in Western society it is believed that the institution can look after a baby better than its mother or family? |
| Throughout it all the woman is never treated as an individual with thoughts and emotions. Never is she asked if she would prefer dimmed lights, massage, music etc. However, her physical health is meticulously monitored and attended to. | Could this suggest that in Western society the 'problem' of an individual is treated with utmost care, but the individual is ignored? |
| The doctor is male. | Why in Western society do males dominate the medical profession? Could this suggest a patriarchal society? |
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