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T h e P o l i t i c s of R e p r o d u c t i o n . M a r y O ' B r i e n . London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981. Pp. 240. T h e c e n t r a l themes of th is e x c i t i n g , e r u d i t e , a n d b r i l l i a n t l y - w r i t t e n b o o k are w e l l c a p t u r e d i n the f o l l o w i n g q u o t a t i o n : F e m i n i s m insists that ' v a l u e ' is n o t a n e x c l u s i v e l y e c o n o m i c category, b u t a n e t h i -c a l , affective, a n d genet ic one . It . . .presents a n d represents a f u n d a m e n t a l l y di f ferent exper ience of the r e l a t i o n of p e o p l e a n d n a t u r e t h a n that p o s e d by m a l e d u a l i s m . It ins is ts , f u r t h e r , that the p r i n c i p l e of in te -g r a t i o n c a n f o r m the basis for a p o l i t i c a l p r a x i s w h i c h is r a t i o n a l , h u m a n e a n d far m o r e progress ive t h a n a n y g e n d e r i c a l l y o n e - s i d e d p r a x i s . . . c a n ever be. (p . 166) T h e b o o k stands i n its o w n r i g h t as o n e cogent a n d i m p r e s s i v e a n s w e r to the f r e q u e n t l y ( a n d o f t e n a n t a g o n i s t i c a l l y ) posed q u e s t i o n : " B u t w h a t w o u l d i t be l i k e to d o f e m a l e p h i l o s o p h y ? " It m i g h t w e l l be l i k e th is : b r i n g i n g p h i l o s o p h i -c a l t h o u g h t i n t o close contac t w i t h the a c t u a l i t y of h u m a n exper ience ; s h o w i n g that q u e s t i o n s a b o u t the p r i n c i p l e s of k n o w i n g , d o i n g , a n d p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n h u m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s are ques-t ions that engage w h o l e persons i n a l l aspects of the i r l ives (i.e. not jus t the i n t e l l e c t u a l aspect) — a n d that the a n s w e r s to these q u e s t i o n s mat ter p r o f o u n d l y ; p o i n t i n g u p the l i m i t a t i o n s of p u r e i n t e l l e c t separated f r o m the w o r l d of a c t i o n a n d a f fec t iv i ty . Ye t i n so d o i n g , as O ' B r i e n a m p l y demonst ra tes , i t need sacr i f ice n o n e of the s t a n d -ards of r i g o r o u s a r g u m e n t a n d i n t e l l e c t u a l inte-g r i t y i n w h i c h the best of p h i l o s o p h e r s i n gen-e r a l , a n d p o l i t i c a l p h i l o s o p h e r s i n p a r t i c u l a r , have l o n g taken p r i d e . S u c h s tandards are pre-served a n d i m p o r t a n t l y e n r i c h e d i n O ' B r i e n ' s w o r k : they are ne i ther d i l u t e d n o r c o m p r o m i s e d . I n O ' B r i e n ' s v i e w , i t is the r e c o g n i t i o n of its c lose c o n n e c t i o n w i t h the r e p r o d u c t i v e process w h i c h r e q u i r e s us to see v a l u e as " e t h i c a l , affec-tive a n d g e n e t i c , " rather t h a n p u r e l y e c o n o m i c . Indeed, r e p r o d u c t i v e l a b o u r stands as the a priori c o n d i t i o n for the existence of v a l u e per se. W i t h -o u t i t — i.e. w i t h o u t the h u m a n beings w h o are its p r o d u c t s — there c o u l d be n o v a l u e , eco-n o m i c , soc ia l , aesthetic, or other, O ' B r i e n argues. N o n e t h e l e s s , i n the h i s t o r y of p o l i t i c a l t h o u g h t (a d o m a i n i n w h i c h she moves w i t h the ease of a n expert) , she p o i n t s o u t that b i o l o g i c a l r e p r o d u c -t i o n is u s u a l l y t a k e n for granted , a n d so passed over i n s i lence . T h i s is the case, for e x a m p l e , i n M a r x i s t t h o u g h t , w h e r e " t h e l a b o u r of r e p r o d u c -t i o n is e x c l u d e d f r o m a n a l y s i s , a n d c h i l d r e n seem to a p p e a r s p o n t a n e o u s l y or perhaps m a g i -c a l l y " (p. 175). O n the rare occas ions w h e n r e p r o d u c t i o n is c o n s i d e r e d w o r t h y of p h i l o s o p h i c a l a t t e n t i o n , o n the other h a n d , the p u r p o s e of s u c h c o n s i d e r -a t i o n m a y be s i m p l y to d i s p l a y the p h i l o s o p h e r ' s c o n t e m p t for the process i n the n a m e of ' h i g h e r ' v a l u e (as w h e n D i o t i m a ins t ructs Socrates o n the nature of Eros — p . 130-1); or to assert, as H a n n a h A r e n d t does, that the g r o u n d s of w o r t h w h i l e , h u m a n p u b l i c a c t i v i t y "are o n t o l o g i c a l rather t h a n b i o l o g i c a l " (p . 100). T h e vita activa, as A r e n d t sees it , is o n l y g e n u i n e l y poss ib le for m a n ( i n the n o n - g e n e r i c sense) w h e n he succeeds i n p e r f o r m i n g h is p o l i t i c a l act iv i t ies " i n a p u b l i c r e a l m u n c o n t a m i n a t e d by l i fe process" (p. 101). A n d de B e a u v o i r ' s a n a l y s i s of r e p r o d u c t i o n appears to y i e l d the c o n c l u s i o n that " p a r t u r i t i o n is non-crea t ive l a b o u r , [and] that the p r o d u c t , the h u m a n c h i l d , has no value" (p. 75, e m p h a s i s i n o r i g i n a l ) . T h i s is a c u r i o u s w a y i n d e e d , O ' B r i e n m a i n t a i n s , to v i e w the process w h i c h has as its p r o d u c t a c h i l d w h o " h a s a h u m a n v a l u e s i m p l y by v i r t u e of b e i n g h u m a n , of g r o w -i n g a n d m a t u r i n g i n a l l the w o n d e r of nature 's most s t u n n i n g p e r f o r m a n c e " (p . 59). I n fact, she h o l d s that i t is n o t jus t a c u r i o u s w a y : it is d e e p l y p e r n i c i o u s b o t h i n itself a n d i n its i m p l i c a t i o n s . F o r i n this d e v a l u a t i o n of r e p r o d u c t i o n , O ' B r i e n sees the source of a f u n -d a m e n t a l h u m a n a l i e n a t i o n . H e n c e , the politics of r e p r o d u c t i o n has as its p r i m a r y a i m the over-c o m i n g of th is a l i e n a t i o n , the i n t e g r a t i o n of the a l i e n a t e d . B u t i n order p r o p e r l y to f o u n d a p o l i t i c a l p r o -g r a m m e , it is f irst necessary to u n d e r s t a n d the o r i g i n s of the a l i e n a t i o n . O ' B r i e n sees these to be i n the d u a l i s m s w h i c h permeate " m a l e - s t r e a m t h o u g h t " : d u a l i s m s of m i n d a n d b o d y , object a n d subject , theory a n d pract ice , reason a n d e m o t i o n , s p i r i t a n d matter , p u b l i c a n d pr iva te , u n i v e r s a l a n d p a r t i c u l a r . T h e s e d u a l i s m s are n o t m e r e l y d e s c r i p t i v e of the structures of h u m a n existence. T h e y carry w i t h t h e m n o r m a t i v e i m p l i -ca t ions s u c h that the second of each p a i r stands for a charac ter i s t i c of lesser v a l u e , for the d a r k a n d d a n g e r o u s e lements w h i c h o n e m u s t strive to o v e r c o m e if one w o u l d be a g o o d m e m b e r of society. A n d , t h r o u g h o u t the h i s t o r y of Western t h o u g h t , the female is, i n each case, associated w i t h the lesser of the t w o characterist ics : w i t h the b o d i l y , the subject ive , the e m o t i o n a l , the mate-r i a l , the p a r t i c u l a r , the ( u n t h i n k i n g l y ) p r a c t i c a l , a n d the pr iva te . T h e p r o d u c t i v e / r e p r o d u c t i v e d i c h o t o m y reflects this e v a l u a t i v e pat tern i n s u c h a w a y that o n l y p r o d u c t i v e (male) l a b o u r is cons idered to be of w o r t h . V i e w e d s t i l l m o r e f u n d a m e n t a l l y , these d u a l -i sms have their source i n a deep m a s c u l i n e unease about h is tor ica l c o n t i n u i t y , O ' B r i e n m a i n -ta ins . T h e process of r e p r o d u c t i o n , by its very nature , i m p o s e s a t e m p o r a l g a p between s e x u a l -ity a n d p a r t u r i t i o n , for m e n . T h e y are separated f r o m a l l stages of the process except c o p u l a t i o n : hence the w h o l e of h u m a n h i s t o r y is shot t h r o u g h w i t h m a s c u l i n e efforts to es tabl ish c o n -t i n u i t y , to forge this b r o k e n l i n k , to resolve m a l e a l i e n a t i o n a n d feel ings of s e p a r a t i o n f r o m n a t u -ra l process. T h i s manifes ts itself i n the e labora-t i o n of c o m p l e x i n s t i t u t i o n s w h i c h p r o v i d e p u b -l i c structures for the a p p r o p r i a t i o n of c h i l d r e n — a n d hence of the l a b o u r ( w o m a n ' s ) that goes i n t o their c r e a t i o n . C e n t r a l a m o n g these are m a r r i a g e a n d f a m i l y structures, structures of i n h e r i t a n c e , a n d of p a t r i a r c h a l d o m i n a t i o n . W i t h these goes the c r e a t i o n of the p r i v a t e r e a l m to w h i c h w o m a n is relegated: i n par t to ensure her i s o l a -t i o n f r o m other m e n . F o r i f she has n o associa-t i o n w i t h o ther m e n , 'her ' m a n need n o t fear that h i s c h i l d r e n m a y not be h i s o w n . C o n t i n u i t y w i l l be easier to m a i n t a i n . C o n s i g n e d to the p r i v a t e r e a l m , w o m a n is r e n d e r e d i n v i s i b l e n o t o n l y to o ther m e n , b u t a l so to o ther w o m e n , f r o m w h o m she m i g h t ( a n d n o w , i n the u p s u r g e of f e m i n i s t t h i n k i n g , does) gather sustenance, b o t h m o r a l a n d s p i r i t u a l . T h u s r e m o v e d f r o m the p u b l i c r e a l m , she is a l m o s t i n v i s i b l e to herself; for the v a l u e of her l a b o u r , b o t h p r o d u c t i v e a n d r e p r o d u c t i v e , is so l o w as to be v i r t u a l l y i m p e r c e p t i b l e . A n d t h r o u g h this deeply d i v i s i v e p u b l i c / p r i v a t e d u a l i s m , the o ther a b o v e - m e n t i o n e d d u a l i s m s are p e r p e t u -ated. M a n is u n i v e r s a l , s p i r i t u a l , theore t i ca l , p u b l i c , a n d m o r a l ; w o m a n is, i n each case, o p p o s i t e — a n d O t h e r . H e r very i n t e g r a t i o n w i t h c o n t i n u i t y a n d h i s t o r y is a d a r k a n d myste-r i o u s threat w h i c h m u s t be suppressed, a n d u l t i m a t e l y d e n i e d . " F o r m e n , s e x u a l i t y is the basis of a free a p p r o p r i a t i o n r i g h t , a p o w e r over w o m e n a n d c h i l d r e n . . . . T h e s o c i a l r e l a t i o n s of r e p r o d u c t i o n are r e l a t i o n s of d o m i n a n c e pre-c ise ly because at the heart of the d o c t r i n e of potency lies the i n t r a n s i g e n t i m p o t e n c y of uncer -ta in ty , a n i m p o t e n c y w h i c h c o l o u r s a n d c o n t i n -u o u s l y bruta l izes the s o c i a l a n d p o l i t i c a l re la -t ions i n w h i c h it is expressed" (p. 191). O ' B r i e n c o n t e n d s that w e are n o t yet ready to s p e l l o u t i n f u l l w h a t k i n d of s o c i a l theory m u s t be d e v e l o p e d to set these w r o n g s to r i g h t . B u t she sees i n the f e m i n i s t perspect ive a clearer v i s i o n , g o v e r n e d by the i d e a l of a praxis w h e r e i n there is a u n i t y between k n o w i n g a n d d o i n g , t h i n k i n g a n d a c t i n g . S u c h a p r a x i s bears the p o t e n t i a l to mediate d ia lec t i ca l ly between these l o n g - s t a n d i n g d u a l i s t i c modes of t h i n k i n g a n d b e i n g , a n d thus to m o v e t o w a r d a progress ive i n t e g r a t i o n of h u m a n be ings b o t h w i t h i n themselves, a n d w i t h o n e a n o t h e r . " F e m a l e r e p r o d u c t i v e c o n s c i o u s -ness.. . t ranscends the i s o l a t i o n of w o m e n i n the i r d o m e s t i c p r i s o n s ; w o m e n g r a s p the r e a l i t y of a u n i v e r s a l c o n s c i o u s n e s s , the s i s t e r h o o d of w h i c h we a l r e a d y have p r i m i t i v e b u t p r o f o u n d a d u m -b r a t i o n s " (p . 208). T h e a n a l y s i s of the p r o b l e m s is a c o m p e l l i n g o n e , a n d the i n d i c a t i o n s o f w h e r e w e m i g h t l o o k f o r s o l u t i o n s are, o n the w h o l e , b o t h persuas ive a n d a p p e a l i n g . I r e m a i n t r o u b l e d by o n l y o n e p r o b l e m ; b u t it is , I t h i n k , a s i g n i f i c a n t one . I a m n o t p e r s u a d e d that r e p r o d u c t i v e l a b o u r c a n bear the f u l l w e i g h t o f f e m a l e s e l f - r e a l i z a t i o n . T o o m u c h seems to be e x c l u d e d f r o m its scope. T h e g e n u i n e a n d v a l u a b l e creat iv i ty , a n d the need for self-esteem, o f the w o m e n w h o d o not , w h e t h e r by c h o i c e or by c h a n c e , ever p r o d u c e c h i l d r e n , is d i f f i c u l t to p l a c e w i t h i n this d o m a i n w h e r e r e p r o d u c t i v e l a b o u r is the p r i m a r y creator of v a l u e . So , too , is the l i f e a n d w o r k of w o m e n b o t h before a n d after (and of ten a l so d u r i n g , b u t apar t f r o m ) the i r c h i l d - n u r t u r i n g ac t iv i t ies . I n order to have a f u l l i n t e g r a t i o n of persons i n t o a w o r l d of c o o p e r a t i v e h u m a n i n t e r a c t i o n , we m u s t a v o i d t h i n k i n g i n terms w h i c h m a k e the c h i l d l e s s perceive themselves as 'o ther . ' It w o u l d be a n u n h a p p y s o l u t i o n w h i c h w o u l d replace o l d d u a l i s m s w i t h n e w ones: d u a l i s m s w h o s e e v a l u a t i v e i m p l i c a t i o n s w o u l d lead to the deva-l u a t i o n of l ives i n w h i c h r e p r o d u c t i v e l a b o u r has n o p lace . O ' B r i e n m i g h t w e l l r e s p o n d that w e s h o u l d not str ive to u n i v e r s a l i z e ; that w e are o n l y too f a m i l i a r w i t h the results of a p r o l o n g e d s t ruggle to d o jus t that . P i e c e m e a l s o l u t i o n s m a y be the best w e c a n offer : o p t i m a l l y , they w i l l u l t i m a t e l y converge to f o r m a w h o l e . B u t i f we are not to u n i v e r s a l i z e , w e m u s t s t i l l m a k e space for those w h o s t a n d o u t s i d e the cent ra l focus of o u r n e w e v a l u a t i v e structures . T h e i r n u m b e r s are increas-i n g as effective c o n t r a c e p t i o n m a k e s r e p r o d u c -t ive l a b o u r i n t o a matter of g e n u i n e , r a t i o n a l c h o i c e . W e m u s t a l l o w that i t c a n be a g o o d cho ice , e i ther w a y . L o r r a i n e C o d e T r e n t U n i v e r s i t y A W o r k i n g M a j o r i t y . Pa t A r m s t r o n g a n d H u g h A r m s t r o n g . Ottawa: The Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1983. R e p r o d u c t i v e H a z a r d s at W o r k . N a n c y M i l l c i C h e n i e r . Ottawa: The Canadian Advisory Coun-cil on the Status of Women, 1982. I n A Working Majority, P a t a n d H u g h A r m -s trong 's g o a l is to let w o m e n speak for t h e m -selves a b o u t their w o r k i n g l ives . T h e result is a u s e f u l , o c c a s i o n a l l y depress ing , but consis tent ly i n t e r e s t i n g ant idote to the stat ist ical analyses w h i c h have so f r e q u e n t l y represented w o m e n ' s l a b o u r force p a r t i c i p a t i o n . T h e a u t h o r s , w o r k -i n g w i t h f ive researchers, i n t e r v i e w e d 65 w o m e n w h o h e l d a w i d e var iety of jobs i n f ive p r o v i n c e s . T h e jobs these w o m e n w o r k are ' w o m e n ' s j o b s ' — the ' b a d ' jobs s u c h as w a i t r e s s i n g , b a n k c l e r k i n g , fac tory w o r k a n d so f o r t h a n d n o t the pres t i -g i o u s , p r o f e s s i o n a l careers that a m u c h p u b l i c -ized m i n o r i t y of w o m e n have m a n a g e d to a t t a i n . A l t h o u g h the a u t h o r s b r i e f l y rev iew the genera l features o f w o m e n ' s l a b o u r force p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n C a n a d a , i t is these i n t e r v i e w s ( w h i c h are e x t e n s i v e l y e x c e r p t e d t h r o u g h o u t the b o o k ) w h i c h are used to e x a m i n e a n d i l lus t ra te the s t ructure of w o m e n ' s w o r k a n d the na ture of the w o r k process. T h e r e s u l t i n g b o o k is a n ex t remely c o m p r e -hens ive d i s c u s s i o n of a w i d e variety of w o r k -related issues: h o u r s , u n i o n s , j o b tenure, u n e m -p l o y m e n t , r e la t ions w i t h f e l l o w w o r k e r s , the i m p a c t of t e c h n o l o g y , h e a l t h hazards, sexua l harassment, etc. I n each instance, w o m e n workers relate the i r p e r s o n a l exper iences . N o t o n l y are the issues b r o u g h t i n t o the r e a l m of ' real l i fe ' , but a l so i m p o r t a n t details are h i g h l i g h t e d . F o r e x a m -p l e , i n the sect ion , " U n e m p l o y m e n t Insurance : ' Y o u have to f ight for every cent y o u get ' " , w o m e n discuss the f r u s t r a t i o n a n d h u m i l i a t i o n of s t rug-g l i n g to m a i n t a i n their benefits q u a l i f i c a t i o n . U n d e r " H e a l t h H a z a r d s : ' T h e w h o l e place is d a n -g e r o u s ' " , w o m e n talk about p s y c h o l o g i c a l as w e l l as p h y s i c a l hazards ; for e x a m p l e , the s i n g l e 

The Politics of Reproduction. Mary O' Brien.

https://journals.msvu.ca/index.php/atlantis/article/download/4492/3731

The Politics of Reproduction. Mary O' Brien.

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