Fetal ultrasound imaging and the production of authoritative knowledge in Greece

被引:49
作者
Georges, E
机构
关键词
ultrasound; pregnancy; technology; Greece; medical authority;
D O I
10.1525/maq.1996.10.2.02a00040
中图分类号
Q98 [人类学];
学科分类号
030303 ;
摘要
In Greece repetitive and intensive fetal scanning is now a universal feature of prenatal care. This article examines some of the ways in which pregnant women and obstetricians experience the intensive use of fetal ultrasound in a small city in eastern Greece. Based on observations and interviews conducted in a public hospital, it is argued that fetal imaging plays a privileged role in The production of authoritative knowledge around pregnancy for both doctors and women. The authority of the technology rests primarily on its ability to create a straightforward sense of reality and visual pleasure. These qualities lead women to actively demand fetal scanning, which helps them to feel the reality of their pregnancies, reassures them of fetal health, and provides a pleasurable sense of contact with, and knowledge about, the fetus. Doctors freely offer multiple scans to attract women to the public hospital, to practice ''modern'' obstetrics, and to negotiate among themselves for control over the management of pregnant women.
引用
收藏
页码:157 / 175
页数:19
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