Elizabeth White
English 102
Instructor: Richard Samuelson
25 February 2011
Discourse Analysis Write-up #2
Babcock, M. "Substance-using mothers: bias in culture and research." Journal of Addictions Nursing 19.2 (2008): 87-91. CINAHL with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.
I found this source to be extremely fascinating in it’s overall ideas and points! Something I myself have never questioned was who’s “fault” is it when a child ends up with a syndrome or particular kinds of abnormalities due to substance abuse throughout pregnancy? Marguerite Babcock pulls all sorts of research exclaiming that there is a severe bias among the people of the United States when it comes to pregnant women, or mothers, and their babies having diagnosis’ such Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). She points out that no one ever bothers to question what part the father might have had in the situation and unfortunately there tends to be this stigma attached to these mothers. According to Babcock, “science as knowledge exists in a social and political context, women blaming is old news in the sciences as well as in the culture.” (Babcock pg. 87) By saying the knowledge we take in and the new sciences we learn about, these are all affected by our culture and the environment at that point and time. So, maybe two decades ago, women would have been looked down upon, and even shunned in some religious settings, for carrying a child with FAS; but today more and more people are trying to look at all ends of the spectrum.
Research has found that not only can the father impact a babies overall health, but he can even be the cause of the child’s diagnosis. If a man takes part in any kind of substance abuse or consumption of alcohol his toxicity levels are extremely high. These toxicity levels range from anywhere in his blood flow to his spermicidal chromosomes. If a man decides to have intercourse while his toxicity levels are still high he could easily effect the zygote, the chromosomes that come together to make a baby, during conception. I found all of this information fascinating! The research stated ultimately changes my outlook on the mothers in this predicament and makes me wonder how many of them have been stigmatized for it. Babcock mentions, “It is hard to be a good o even “normal” mother when those around you doubt your competence…the assumption that substance abuse impedes maternal functioning, including prenatal, further increases the stigmatism of female drug users…” (pg. 88) Just because a women struggles with substance abuse doesn’t always mean they don’t love their baby, their problem just may be bigger than they can carry. To sum it all up, mothers, for many many years, have been blamed for birth defects caused by the father, but ignoring the fathers’ involvement is inaccurate and doesn’t adequately address the problem of birth defects.
While reflecting on this source I had a hard time trying to pull it apart and look for any bias’s of its that I wasn’t seeing. I like to back up what I say with research, and many times it’s hard to argue with empirical evidence. I give the facts and then I put my two cents in of what I think about those facts. I really liked this source, it laid a lot of ground work for me to play with and think about. I honestly didn’t come out of reading this source with numerous questions or confusion and I don’t know if there is really too much bias in it. Ironically the source talks about bias itself, being very careful to try and take away bad stigmas. So, job well done!
