ANTH/WMNS 326 Cross cultural families and households
Feb. 7, 12, 14.: The state: fertility, population control
 Required readings: Hong Zhang (2005) “Bracing for an Uncertain Future: A Case Study of New Coping Strategies of Rural Parents under China's Birth Control Policy.” The China Journal, 54: 53-76.
Krause, Elizabeth L and Milena Marchesi (2007) “Fertility Politics as ‘Social Viagra’: Reproducing Boundaries, Social Cohesion, and Modernity in Italy.” American Anthropologist. 109(2):350-362.

Hong Zhang:
- an update on China’s one child policy: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/5-things-to-know-about-china-s-1-child-policy-1.3294335
- how do state regulation and economic needs and patterns affect the form and quality of kin relationships (marriage and parent-child) in Chinese families?
- Zhang does not present a section giving a theoretical framework, but we can intuit some of her theory by thinking about the types of data she concentrates on
- how would we characterize the type of data she uses?
- what is her argument?
- why did China institute a one-child policy?
- what is uxorilocality?
- why are states interested in the kin practices of their citizens?
- how do state policies affect inter-generational kin ties and the prospects of the elderly to be cared for?
- why is China now changing its one-child policy?

Group work: in groups, work on how you think the state (Canada, if you are Canadian, or your own, if you are not) has implemented policies that affect family size and the nature of responsibilities  between parents and children. Submit this on a piece of paper with your first and last names on it.


Krause and Marchesi
- societies usually have ways of controlling or promoting fertility, whether they are small scale societies or large states
    - anthropological analyses have usually been cultural ecological, linking strategies to promote or control birth rates according to the carrying capacity of the land, given the technology
- Krause and Marchesi discuss what happens in a specific contemporary state society
    - note that Italy’s situation, with a low birth rate and a discourse about dangers of immigration, is not unique (Real Women of Canada [2017] for a Canadian example of what they discuss: http://www.realwomenofcanada.ca/canadas-population/)
        - therefore important that you have the critical tools to evaluate debates about state policies around fertility and immigration
    - Krause and Marchesi discuss how population has been discussed in Italy and argue that this is tied into ideological politics
        - specifically, examine conceptualisation of Italy’s low birth rate as a problem, and the apparently contradictory policies that result, one pronatalist and the other severely restricting assisted reproduction.
    - their discussion focuses on the discourse about fertility, rather than on the effects of the policy
    - themes/concepts in their discussion:
        - modernism
        - familism
        - economy
        - sexuality
        - orientalism
        - xenophobia
- their argument?
- their theory:
    - background ideas: policy as “total social phenomenon”
        - biopower (Foucault)
        - hegemonic projects (Gramsci)
        - thus, they are interested in seeing how different power groups frame their ideology in public debate in order to sway public opinion, and in how the dominant political group implements policy that affects how people physically live their lives.
    - emic concept whose divergent meanings they explored: modernity
- their methods?
- what evidence do they discuss?
    - how do Italians position themselves with respect to modernity and how did this come about?
    - how is the current “problem” being presented by the government?
    - what are the different public debates about modernity and fertility?
- how does their discussion of this situation help us to think about how governments and other activist groups present ideas about reproduction as they try to have different policies implemented?
    - what do they argue?
 
What is the role of the state in managing kinship? Think about this with respect to the following video. Pay attention to the cultural assumptions reflected it.
What specific statements drew your attention?
Using this video as evidence, what concerns do you have about how various people in the US and Britain view NRTs?
Lammas Science (2014) BBC Short Circuit Designer Babies #1 S072R01.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbO-8H9qQqs. Accessed 14 February 2018.

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