How does infertility affect the multigenerational family?
Infertility affects the multigenerational family particularly in how members of the older generation relate with the individuals that are directly affected (Hutchinson, 2003).
In essence, infertility will be regarded as the death of one branch of the family tree and as such the relations towards this side of the family will be strained.
In most societies, the process of life is ongoing and repetitive at the same time, with children being taught that procreation is the only way in which a culture can persist.
According to Hutchinson (2003), “children in many segments of today’s society are taught that one of their major goals in life should be to become a parent.”
This makes it easy to see why infertility will bring disharmony in a multigenerational family. The situation is further worsened in communities that have not wholly embraced the concept of adoption.
This is because even children who are entrenched in the family by adoption will not be fully regarded as direct descendants of the original genetic roots. On the positive side, infertility can come with some benefits to the family.
This is because it forces a halt in the growth of the family and therefore the younger members can adequately take care of their aging parents and grandparents.
What is the impact of social class on assisted reproductive technologies?
The costs of conducting the procedures are generally on the higher side, and only a few of the affected couples can afford to access such medical services (Hutchinson, 2003).
The prohibitive nature of the costs for assisted reproduction directly contributes to filtering out of would-be candidates whose financial status do not allow for such expenses.
This, therefore, ends up making the procedures available for a given social class at the expense of another (Hutchinson, 2003).
The upper class of any society more often than not comprises individuals with higher academic integrity, and these are individuals who have a clear understanding of what assisted reproduction entails (Hutchinson, 2003).
The lower class members, on the other hand, are more traditionalistic in how they view things and it becomes very difficult for example to convince a couple that a surrogate mother will not contribute to the genetics of the child.
How does maternal health care reflect the power structure of the United States?
According to the state of the child progress report, maternal healthcare is one of the child well-being indicators of a maturing nation (Children Services Council, 2008). The availability of this form of care to a great majority of the population reflects well on the power structure of the United States.
This is mainly because the ruling class has been placed in such a position that it can influence change in the way the society regards pregnancy.
Since the level of development of a country is determined by among other factors the quality of health care it offers its citizens, the United States has come to be regarded as a well developed and powerful state in the world.
It is no wonder the country is seen as the land of opportunity in the eyes of other nations. Finally, the growth of a nation is dependent on its women.
The better the health care mothers receive throughout the pregnancy and during childbirth, the healthier the children born, and therefore the lesser the resources the government will dedicate to the provision of health services to the population at large (Children Services Council, 2010).
This translates well to the ranking of the United States in terms of power structure because of the perceived effectiveness in the utilization of public funds.
Reference List
Children Services Council. (2010). Prenatal screen. Retrieved May 21, 2010 from, www.cscpbc.org
Children Services Council (2008). State of the child in Palm beach county 2008 progress report. United States: Children’s Services Council, Palm Beach County.
Hutchinson, E.D. (2003). Dimensions of human behaviour: The changing life course. Washington: SAGE.