Pregnant in America - Movie Review Example

Review of the Documentary “Pregnant In America” Mcdonalidization is a term coined by sociologist, George Ritzer, to refer to the process through which the modern society has adopted the traits of a first food restaurant. It is simply the modernization of society leaving behind its primitive and outdated characteristics and opting for current and rational ways of doing things. This review examines how the birth process has evolved from the ancient to modern methods of giving birth. It also compares hospital birth to home birth and use of midwives.

Childbirth has become mcdonaldized by getting rid of the traditional ways of taking care and delivering of children. The traditional methods such has midwifery and home births have been replaced by the modern and more developed procedures of handling both the pregnant mother and child. The development of technology has contributed a great deal to the mcdonaldization of child birth. Most child births are done in hospitals contrary to the home births in antiquity. The modern use of the caesarian section, this is usually done when the normal vaginal birth is difficult (Mays 123).

Child birth has also seen the use of ultrasounds take effect to determine the child’s heart beat rate. Contrary to the traditional ways, doctors can also define the sex of the unborn child. Childbirth is done by professionals, individuals who are well trained in that sector as opposed to the old-style ways where the midwives had no formal training. (Mays 243) In this modern era, doctors have more power in the birth process as compared to midwives because the whole society is now well informed and is aware of the complications that frequently accompany childbirth.

The modern people trust doctors more than they do midwives. People feel comfortable being handled by a certified individual who is qualified to perform such procedures. In hospitals, in case of any complication, quick action can be taken to save both the lives of the mother and child. For instance, in case of over bleeding, doctors are the only people who know what to do to respond to such an incident. If, at birth, the child has a certain medical condition, it is only doctors who can be able to see it and take the appropriate action.

The doctors are winning the battle against midwives simply because people trust them more than they do midwives. (Mays 312) Naomi wolf’s concept of the sacred vagina is raised, in the book, in two ways. First it relates a woman’s fulfillment, satisfaction and overall prosperity to how she is treated and handled. Mandy Buonaugurio was moved from home delivery to hospital due to complications during the birth of her child. This stress that she had to endure could probably have led to the development of an angry, dissatisfied and generally disillusioned woman.

Naomi wolf also emphasizes that the vagina should be treated as part of the body and should be respected. A theorist that best explains the medicalization of birth is Talcott Parsons. In his contribution to social evolutionism, Talcott adaptation describes the development of more efficient systems and bringing into use critical tactics that were previously not in the system. Additionally, parsons elaborates the stages of evolution ranging from the primitive to the archaic and finally modernization.

This is consistent to the Mcdonaldization concept propagated with the documentary (Mays 157) In conclusion, childbirth should be given the urgency it deserves, and only the best should be allowed to complete it. Hospital birth is the best way of giving birth as it is done by qualified and competent persons.Work CitedMays, Dorothy A. Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World. Santa Barbara (Calif.: ABC-CLIO), 2004. Print.