‘The opposite of a history’
Theoretical work in critical medical anthropology and biomedicine on substance use in pregnancy has yet to develop a cohesive framework of the maternal-fetal unit (MFU) as a dynamic object. As a result, patient history, risk, and agency continue to be driven by an Enlightenment-era, monolithic conce...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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University of Edinburgh Library
2015-09-01
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Series: | Medicine Anthropology Theory |
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Online Access: | http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/4601 |
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author | Ashish Premkumar |
author_facet | Ashish Premkumar |
author_sort | Ashish Premkumar |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Theoretical work in critical medical anthropology and biomedicine on substance use in pregnancy has yet to develop a cohesive framework of the maternal-fetal unit (MFU) as a dynamic object. As a result, patient history, risk, and agency continue to be driven by an Enlightenment-era, monolithic conception of individual will. I use the example of Carla, a young woman actively using heroin in her pregnancy, to illustrate the limits of the MFU as it is currently conceived. By using critiques of subjective utilitiarianism, as discussed by Byron Good, and the concept of becoming, as elucidated by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, this article seeks to articulate an ethics of accompaniment, focused on both individual patient care and wider sociopolitical advocacy. These ethics help to redefine the MFU, and support new and unique ways of providing services to this often marginalized and vulnerable population. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-20T05:41:05Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-29fd2be1d5d94d5d9eaec67c9cf780dd |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2405-691X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-20T05:41:05Z |
publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
publisher | University of Edinburgh Library |
record_format | Article |
series | Medicine Anthropology Theory |
spelling | doaj.art-29fd2be1d5d94d5d9eaec67c9cf780dd2022-12-21T19:51:26ZengUniversity of Edinburgh LibraryMedicine Anthropology Theory2405-691X2015-09-012210.17157/mat.2.2.1884601‘The opposite of a history’Ashish PremkumarTheoretical work in critical medical anthropology and biomedicine on substance use in pregnancy has yet to develop a cohesive framework of the maternal-fetal unit (MFU) as a dynamic object. As a result, patient history, risk, and agency continue to be driven by an Enlightenment-era, monolithic conception of individual will. I use the example of Carla, a young woman actively using heroin in her pregnancy, to illustrate the limits of the MFU as it is currently conceived. By using critiques of subjective utilitiarianism, as discussed by Byron Good, and the concept of becoming, as elucidated by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, this article seeks to articulate an ethics of accompaniment, focused on both individual patient care and wider sociopolitical advocacy. These ethics help to redefine the MFU, and support new and unique ways of providing services to this often marginalized and vulnerable population.http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/4601pregnancysubstance usebecomingassemblageprenatal care |
spellingShingle | Ashish Premkumar ‘The opposite of a history’ Medicine Anthropology Theory pregnancy substance use becoming assemblage prenatal care |
title | ‘The opposite of a history’ |
title_full | ‘The opposite of a history’ |
title_fullStr | ‘The opposite of a history’ |
title_full_unstemmed | ‘The opposite of a history’ |
title_short | ‘The opposite of a history’ |
title_sort | the opposite of a history |
topic | pregnancy substance use becoming assemblage prenatal care |
url | http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/4601 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT ashishpremkumar theoppositeofahistory |