Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Family, Life Course, and Society Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Family, Life Course, and Society
Anticipatory Socialization Of Pregnant Women: Learning Fetal Sex And Gendered Interactions, Medora W. Barnes
Anticipatory Socialization Of Pregnant Women: Learning Fetal Sex And Gendered Interactions, Medora W. Barnes
Sociology
Although doctors still frequently call out “It’s a girl!” when a baby girl is born, the majority of mothers now use ultrasound to find out the sex months earlier. This study examines how women who learn the sex of their fetus before birth are engaging in gendered verbal interactions throughout pregnancy. These include types of conversations, usage of gendered pronouns, and calling the unborn baby by a given name. These changes in behaviors by pregnant woman once fetal sex is known can be seen as a form of anticipatory socialization, as they begin to practice the behaviors and values associated …