AGENCY, IDENTITY, and MOWITY in PARENTAL a Thesis
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"DOING OUR BESTn: AGENCY, IDENTITY, AND MOWITY IN PARENTAL NARRATIVES AND mERSTANDINGS OF CHILDREN'S BODIES A Thesis Submitted to the Cornmittee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Revirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT [iNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada a copyright by Megan Myfanwy Davies-Ostrom 2000 Anthropology M. A, Program June 2001 National Library Bibliothèque nationaIe ofCanada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Streel 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K 1 A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une Licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seU reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microforni, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. La forme de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur foxmat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in ths thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othewise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT "Doing Our Bestn: Agency, Identity and Morality in Parental Narratives and Understandings of their Childwen's Bodies Megan Myfanwy Davies-Ostrom In this thesis I explore the intersection of parents, bodies, and society in North American culture. 1 attempt to examine the processes by which individuals make meaning at a local level within the context of larger social discourses and cultural narratives. To do so, I use voices, interpretations, and persona1 narratives collected through my interviews and conversations with parents in Peterborough, Ontario, to dernonstrate how individual parents interact and negotiate with available discourses to form understandings of their children's bodies and wsll-being. 1 show how these understandings and the parental choices based on them are both (a) varied and personally contextual, and (b) a site for the articulation of parental identity and morality. 1 argue that despite the coercive and potentially defining natures of cultural narratives and discourses, individuals are agents in the creation of their own identities, and chat the meanings given to their own 1 ives by the sub j ects of anthropological research are valid, valuable, and informative to the discipline. Finally, 1 demonstrate that the endeavour of pursuing anthropological research 'at homef raises methodological md theoretical questions useful to research eïsewhere and to the discipline at large. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 would like to thank al1 of the friends, family, teachers, and colleagues who have given me their support, guidance, encouragement, and patience over the last few years. Their ccntributions to my work - everything from an intellectual discussion to a comforting hug - have been invaluable and will always be appreciated. First and foremost 1 would like to thank my thesis supervisor, Sharon Hepburn. In bath her practical advice and intellectual encouragement she bas guided my path and inspired me to look and reach father than 1 realized 1 could. I have been honoured and enriched by the chance to work with her on this project. Suzie Young and Cath Oberholtzer were wonderful cornmittee rnembers who were generous with their tirne, their encouragement and cheir commentary on my work. My gratitude also goes to Jack Kapac for agreeing to be the extemal exclminer on my cornmittee. In addition 1 wish to thank Anne Meneiey who serrved on my committee during the earlier stages. Al1 of these people challenged me, in different ways, with critical comments which prompted reflection on my work, and, in the end, made clear to me what 1 hold to be important. Thanks also to the wonderful people in the Anthropology Department Office and at Graduate Studies, for helping me out when 1 needed help and arïswering al1 my questions, no matter how silly. iii 1 am grateful to al1 of the institutions whose funding helped me along my way and made this research possible. I would like to thank Trent University, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, and the Canadian Scholarship Trust Fund for the scholarships and awards 1 was oecerously given. Finally, 1 would like to thank al1 of the family and friends who knew just when to lend an ear and when go away. These people - Sue Morgan, Leah Thornburg, Royce Calverley, Grace Luc, Paula îrachy, Lynette Pike, Sarah Keys, Bill and Nancy Davies, Byron and Jean Ostxom, and last but not least my husband Dan - have done more than anyone could ask to help me, and were always there when 1 needed them. To everyone, thank you. 1 will never forget your help. Table of Contenta mstract .................................................... i Acknowledgments ............................................. ii Table of Contents ........................................... iv List of Figures ............................................. vi List of Tables ...............................................ri Introduction ................................................1 Chapter One Peterborough: Fieldwork, Methodology and Parents ....... 12 + Fieldwork and Methodology ...................20 + Informants, Friends, and Teachers : The Parents with whom 1 spoke ...............32 + Roles and Realities .........................35 Chapter Two: Historical Perspective on Childhood and the Cultural Context of Parenting in North America .........38 + Understandings in the Past .................. 39 + Narratives and Discourses in the Present: The Cultural Context of Parenting in North America ............................... 45 + Parental Responsibility ..........47 + The Unfinished Child .............52 + The Advice of the Experts Vs. the "Naturaln................ 55 Chapter Three: Understanding Their Children's Bodies ..................61 + Constraint and Empowerment ..................61 + Understanding their Children's Bodies .......67 + Sources of Information and forming understandings .....,.... 67 + Children's Bodies ................72 + Making Choices and Taking Action .................... 76 Chapter Four : Risk and Responsibility in Time and Space ..............88 + Risk and Space: The Geography of Parental Concern ......................... 91 + Time, Risk, and Responsibility ............. iOO 6 The Temporality of Responsibility ..................101 + The Temporality of Risk .........105 Chapcer Five: Iaentity, Morality, and Narrative ....................... + Narrative Identity, Morality, and Choice of Health Care ......................124 Conclusion ................................................. 138 Rsferences Cited ........................................... 148 - Figure 1 Peterbox~uh-Co- ........................... 21 Table 1 Research Informants ............................33 This thesis examines the intersection of parents, bodies, and society in North American culture. Before 1 Say anything else of my research or work, 1 wish to put forwaïd a scene from the opening act of William Shakespeare's A Miclmer Niaht 's Dream. In this passage, Egeus, a noble and a father, cornes before the Duke of Athens to cornplain that his daughter, Hermia, bas refused to marry Demecrius, the man he has chosen for her: And, rny gracious Duke, Be it so she will not here before your Grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, 1 beg the ancient privilege of Athens: As she is mine, 1 may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman, Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in chat Case. (1,ii,39-45) In response, the Duke turns to Hermia: What say you, Hermia? Be advis'd, fair maid. To you your father should be as a god; One that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax, By him imprinted, and within his power, To leave the figure, or disfigure it- (1,ii,46-51) At first glance, the issue in these lines seems to be the control of Fiernia's body; that "form in waxn over whose fate her father demands his rightful Say. The real matter at stake, however, is not Hermials body, buc the social relationships it is perceived to mediace: between Hermia and her father, between Hermia and the 2 man she has chosen against her fatheris wishes, ana between her father and Demetrius. The discourse being put forward, and mocked, by Shakespeare hêre is one of pre-determination, parental ownership and parental privilege. Recast in light of a twenty-first century interpretation, this scene is more likely to be read as a debate over persona1 autonomy and individu~lisrn: as sudden subjects of twenty-first centüry Western social research, Egeus and Hermia wculd likely be seen to be in conflict not over law, prcperty ana alliance, but over agency, r~sponsibilityand self. In both readings however, bodies (particularly women's bodies), as they are perceived and understood, are a site at which people create and understand social relationships. In its first intsrpretation, Hermia's dilemma evokes Levi Strauss' The Elern-y StructurPs of K~D(1969) and the idea of the excha~geof women as a route to social alliance (Strauss 1965, cited in Rubin 1975:173); while in its second, the relationships being negotiated through Hermia and Egeusts perceptions of her body were