Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"They Just Happened": The Curious Case Of The Unplanned Baby, Italian Low Fertility, And The ‘End’ Of Rationality, Elizabeth L. Krause

Elizabeth L. Krause

Winner of the Polgar Prize for Best Article, Society of Medical Anthropology ~ Even in a country with super-low fertility rates, at least one-quarter of all babies are unplanned. The finding puzzles policymakers. This article uses Italy’s “curious case” as a jumping-off point to expose assumptions about rationality. It offers a model to dismantle the “conceit” of rationality, drawing on Max Weber’s classic critique and Emily Martin’s contemporary appraisal. It asks: (1) How do assumptions about rationality related to sexuality and reproduction manifest? (2) How do qualitative data challenge rationalist assumptions? and (3) How are cultural logics expressed and what …