Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
“Trying” Times: Medicalization, Intent, And Ambiguity In The Definition Of Infertility, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan
“Trying” Times: Medicalization, Intent, And Ambiguity In The Definition Of Infertility, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
Researchers studying infertility from the perspective of anthropology and other the social sciences seldom examine the assumptions embedded in the biomedical definition of infertility. Implicit in the biomedical definition is the assumption that people can be divided straightforwardly into those who are trying to conceive and those who are not trying to conceive. If being infertile implies “intent to conceive,” we must recognize that there are various degrees of intent and that the line between the fertile and the infertile is not as sharp as is usually imagined. Drawing on structured interview data collected from a random sample of Midwestern …
Specifying The Effects Of Religion On Medical Helpseeking: The Case Of Infertility, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Maureen Benjamins, David R. Johnson, Katherine M. Johnson, Chelsea R. Heinz
Specifying The Effects Of Religion On Medical Helpseeking: The Case Of Infertility, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Maureen Benjamins, David R. Johnson, Katherine M. Johnson, Chelsea R. Heinz
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
Several recent studies have examined the connection between religion and medical service utilization. This relationship is complicated because religiosity may be associated with beliefs that either promote or hinder medical helpseeking. The current study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between religion and fertility-related helpseeking using a probability sample of 2183 infertile women in the United States. We found that, although religiosity is not directly associated with helpseeking for infertility, it is indirectly associated through mediating variables that operate in opposing directions. More specifically, religiosity is associated with greater belief in the importance of motherhood, which in turn …
The Experience Of Infertility: A Review Of Recent Literature, Arthur L. Greil, Kathleen Slauson-Blevins, Julia Mcquillan
The Experience Of Infertility: A Review Of Recent Literature, Arthur L. Greil, Kathleen Slauson-Blevins, Julia Mcquillan
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
About 10 years ago Greil published a review and critique of the literature on the socio-psychological impact of infertility. He found at the time that most scholars treated infertility as a medical condition with psychological consequences rather than as a socially constructed reality. This article examines research published since the last review. More studies now place infertility within larger social contexts and social scientific frameworks although clinical emphases persist. Methodological problems remain but important improvements are also evident. We identify two vigorous research traditions in the social scientific study of infertility. One tradition uses primarily quantitative techniques to study clinic …