« Bien-être familial » : une notion illusoire ? Lʼenvers de la rhétorique en milieu hospitalier indien
Résumé
As part of a policy to reduce the birth rate, India went through a period of mass sterilization under the state of emergency in 1975-1977. Since then, Indian family-planning policies have abandoned these methods in favour of a so-called “family welfare” approach based on citizens’ free and informed choice. Given the political and economic challenges, but also the social and religious tensions underlying the Indian demographic issue, to what extent is this approach compatible with local reality? The issue of women’s fertility remains a sensitive one in India as it lies at the crossroads of social tensions (supposedly high fertility rates among the most disadvantaged), religious communalism (Hindu-Muslim differentials) and gender considerations (impact of son preference on fertility indices). Based on the ethnography of a public obstetrics hospital in Rajasthan, I explain why caregivers urge their patients to use birth control. By focusing on the discretionary power of physicians, I show that their practices are rather determined by nationalistic considerations than by concerns for the alleged individual freedom of their patients.
Domaines
Sciences de l'Homme et Société
Origine : Accord explicite pour ce dépôt