The Anthropology of the Fetus: Biology, Culture, and Society

Description

As a biological, cultural, and social entity, the human fetus is a multifaceted subject which calls for equally diverse perspectives to fully understand. Anthropology of the Fetus seeks to achieve this by bringing together specialists in biological anthropology, archaeology, and cultural anthropology. Contributors draw on research in prehistoric, historic, and contemporary sites in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America to explore the biological and cultural phenomenon of the fetus, raising methodological and theoretical concerns with the ultimate goal of developing a holistic anthropology of the fetus. Content: List of Figures and Tables Forward: How/Shall We Consider the Fetus? Rayna Rapp PART I: THE FETUS IN BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE Chapter 1. Conceiving the Anthropology of the Fetus: An Introduction Sallie Han, Tracy K. Betsinger, and Amy B. Scott Chapter 2. The Borderless Fetus: Temporal Complexity of the Lived Fetal Experience Julienne Rutherford Chapter 3. The Biology of the Fetal Period: Interpreting Life from Fetal Remains Kathleen Ann Satterlee Blake Chapter 4. Pregnant with Ideas: Concepts of the Fetus in the 21st Century United States Sallie Han PART II: FINDING FETUSES IN THE PAST: ARCHAEOLOGY AND BIOARCHAEOLOGY Chapter 5. The Bioarchaeology of Fetuses Sian E. Halcrow, Nancy Tayles, and Gail E. Elliott Chapter 6. Fetal Paleopathology: An Impossible Discipline? Mary E. Lewis Chapter 7. The Neolithic Infant Cemetery at Gebel Ramlah in Egypt's Western Desert Jacek Kabacinski, Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny, and Joel D. Irish Chapter 8. Excavating Identity: Burial Context and Fetal Identity in Post-Medieval Poland Amy B. Scott and Tracy K. Betsinger PART III: THE ONCE AND FUTURE FETUS: SOCIOCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Chapter 9. Waiting: The Redemption of Frozen Embryos through Embryo Adoption and Stem Cell Research in the United States Risa D. Cromer Chapter 10. Deploying the Fetus: Constructing Pregnancy and Abortion in Morocco Jessica Marie Newman Chapter 11. Beyond Life Itself: The Embedded Fetuses of Russian Orthodox Anti-Abortion Activism Sonja Luehrmann Chapter 12. The "Sound" of Life: Or How Should We Hear a Fetal "Voice"? Rebecca Howes-Mischel Conclusion Tracy K. Betsinger, Amy B. Scott, and Sallie Han Glossary Index