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Middlesex, gender and science
Middlesex, gender and science
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Published in 2002, Middlesex novel is a dense book that incorporates various literary elements to appeal to the audience. The novel through the elaboration of different transitions generations of an American family tries to understand the hermaphrodite nature of the persona in the book. The novel presents the protagonist as an intersex raising the themes of gender that is developed through most part of the novel. The story of the novel is centered on hermaphroditism that is genetically inherited (Eugenides, 2003). Science in the novel plays an important role as the author takes us through the historical imaginations. In elaborating the main character’s gender crisis, the author successfully shows how scientific theories helps in understanding the contemporary world as characters are fond of using science to show the point of views on intersex and anatomy (Eugenides, 2003). This paper looks at the themes of gender and science as brought about in the book.
The introduction of the novel is very captivating phrase as one narrates how they were born twice “I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974” (Eugenides, 2003). These words seem to be quite contradictory because as reader one gets to wonder how was one born twice. The novel follows three generation of Greek family that are from a Turkish town and the novel follows their life to an establishment in Detroit Greek Community. The narrator is Cal and his characteristics makes him special to be the narrator as he is born physically as a girl but hormonally he is a boy. His story is about the tale of his generation that includes his grandparents. The plot in itself is already about gender as gender is defined as the characteristics possessed by women and men and this may include gender roles, norm as well as relationship that exists between the men as well as the women in the society. He explores and tries to imagine the life of people like him that existed before science was a thing, when people did not understand biology thus how they viewed people born like him.
Eugenides in his novel Middlesex explores the aspect of gender roles where the family tradition seems to be more traditional and also tries to explore the fluidity of gender. Cal has been able to live several versions of himself since he came to earth as now he is 41-years-old. As a young person he was girl, worked frilly dresses, but as he begun to grow up he began questioning his sexuality. As an adolescent he also begun having attraction towards the female friends at that particular period and because of the strict gender definition in America he shies away from his true identity because he is unsure of how people may treat him or the consequences that may have to follow. One thing to note about Cal is that despite his male physique including body structure and him being masculine, he desires to become a heterosexual male although he lacks the male reproductive organs. From the text, he is clearly running from a life that he has run from for years but writing gives him a much clear picture about himself and he is in a position to mold history which enables him to form a phallus, giving him a clear sense of the gender which he establishes is neither masculine nor feminine.
The understanding of science in the book is essential in that the characters are all built around the major theme of a gender crisis. Science through the description of three generations helps to understand the root of the hermaphroditism nature of the protagonist, Cal (Eugenides, 2003). Through the book, science has been abused through the involvement of intimacy between members of the same family as well as secrets. The scientific theme of nature vs. nature arises with much explanation on how science is applied in the novel. The theme discusses on how gender identity of an individual and their character is neither solely to nature nor nurture. Science explains how Cal has both the XY chromosomes that are usually in male after she was examined. At her puberty stage, she had seen several changes that included the increase of muscles, as well as a large Adam Apple, are formed. Application of science prevails as it helps to explain the nature of Cal who at the beginning of the novel was born as a girl but gradually through changes at her puberty stage became a male. Science, however, identifies her condition as neither male nor female.
Science, as used by the author, helps in showing how the varying levels of hormones are formed in an individual explains how, testosterone, they are responsible for the molding of male genitalia. In most cases, the social construct of who is male or female is developed by the culture of the society that believes gender to be either male or female. The doctor characters in the book help in the usage of science as they scientifically determine the causes of deepening of voice and development muscles to be the presence of male chromosomes that are XY. Although Callie was born and raised as a female, she was sexually attracted to women and she knew that hence the reason for her getting away from her family and doctors in an effort to pursue her male identity (Eugenides, 2003). Doctor Peter, however, abuses science usage when he develops a notion and recommendation that the protagonist should keep her female identity thus planning for gender reassignment procedures.
The novel developed various theories such as the construction theory whereby the constructionists believe that the identity of gender is normally based on outer influences (Cossman, 2003). These influences are often the gender social construct of the community that sets various beliefs on how a male and female should be, behave and how they should conduct them. As Cal was raised feminine gender schema, she emerges to pursue the male identity that she knew she was attracted to other girls. This position of the novel negates the discussions that an individual’s traits are guided and influences by their environment. It rather suggests that the biological evolution of an individual has weight and impact in their gender identity may or may not be against their free will (Cossman, 2003).
The novel portrays the use of scientific theories as essential elements in understanding the contemporary world and various ways that we understand the world (Cossman, 2003). The characters in the novel were of the notion and believe that the outward view of the genitalia identifies one’s gender identity. This belief, however, was shattered with the transformation of Cal to being male, shifting the entire methodology and believe that was used to determine gender (Athanassakis, 2012). Cal’s renunciation of her female gender that she was raised up within her childhood is projected and portrayed as he embraced the male gender identity when she said: “I never felt out of place being a girl, I still don’t feel entirely at home among men either” (Lee, 2010).
The novel portrays both the development as well as the failure of genetics and science. We see that both the technology as well as the science seems to be working against the Stephanides, Desdemona who is seen as a person who is science savvy seems to be unable to predict the gender of Tessies and Milton children. The novel tries to portray the world we live in right now. Nowadays even before birth, people are often in a position to be able to identify the gender of their children. We see doctors seem to also fail science in the diagnosis of Cal as they utter an insensitive comment that “sex of rearing, rather than genetic determinants, plays a greater role in the establishment of gender identity” (Eugenides, 2003). Scientifically, it is not the upbringing that determines a child’s gender but rather it is the scientific composition including hormonal composition and for a doctor to thin this way, then they clearly were failing science. Eugenides also tries to portray a society that does not seem to be understanding at all, when Ca is trying to find where he fits in and uses the Webster dictionary to look at the term hermaphrodite, one of the synonyms that pops up is monster an indication of how people like him were being treated in totally different way and viewed differently by the society.
The gender conventions are often binary with the development of intersex that is developed genetically challenging the usual binary conceptual categories. The book shows how queer theory is generated with the protagonists being presented clearly to defy the usual odds of in the society that had labelled gender and sexuality to be defied as binary. Cal in the book is shown to transition from a girl to becoming a boy due to his masculine features and how he felt attracted to females (Lee, 2010). The odd theory as well as presented through the description of Cal’s body that seemed not to fit in either a male of a female dichotomy of genetics. This novel by Eugenides develops several debates that as well question the hetero and homosexuality binary definition.
Queer theorist believes that in order to understand the world and various forms in it one ought to learn of what is considered to be true and original. In most instances, true and original phrases and definitions are merely constructions of culture. Culture dictates the norms of society and develops guidance on what is morally right and what is wrong. The queer theory develops the notion that in order for the people to subvert from the traditional knowledge they ought to adopt the critical genealogy and develop identity categories critiques that engender naturalizes and immobilizes the contemporary judicial structures (Lee, 2010). In understanding the real-life and world situations, this theory helps in developing his argument that the world we exist in is limited by politics and the language we use. The theory suggested that for the world to be developed with normal life and counter the violent that is normative, the people ought to work from within these limitations to show that the perceived concepts of gender and sexuality, as well as the systems of belief, are not natural (Lee, 2010).
Understanding the plot of the novels aids in showing and understanding how science is addressed and applied in the possible development of options in gender. From the novel, the protagonist explains and describes his father’s scientific mania that overtook him to be a belief in progress that was infecting everyone at the time, 9. As developed by the main character this was in the spring of 1959 when his parents had decided to play God due to the “scientific truths” that were time appropriate (Eugenides, 2003). Before the second birth of Cal which as well as before the introduction of Dr Peter Luce, the author is shown to set up science for fail. The novel as from the beginning of the story portrays the use of science to be a construct; it shows science as nothing more of a cultural construct. The novel primes to show that as any other narratives developed historically, science as well is developed to serve certain means in the society (Lee, 2010). Dr Luce who is so confident about his theoretical view makes him conflict with science. He lies to Stephanides on Callie’s procedure and to him girls are just girls and boys are just boys with no confusion. If it was up to him to decide then he would have just left Cal as Callie. The doctor was willing to use hormones and surgery to ensure that Cal remained a girl.
After the second birth of Cal, the novel as well recognizes the similarly thin claims of what is referred to as scientific evidence. The novel through the narrator shows how Milton abuses science (Cohen, 2007). In that, he had convinced Tessie that they could choose to have a baby girl that was fully backed by hard scientific evidence. Popular science in the time had become a force that people used to conclude by. In this context, the narrator tells the story of how Milton turned to Uncle Pete for help to find the correct approach and method of making a baby girl. The qualifications of Uncle Pete in this scenario, however, are questionable. The misconception of Milt in the story is that he saw Uncle Pete to be a verifiable source merely because he Uncle Pete had studied something that concerned the body and he had subscribed to the scientific American (Cohen, 2007). These two facts had qualified him to be a verifiable source although he had not studied anything that included fetal medicine or gynecology.
The case of nature vs. Culture is developed as from the beginning of the novel during the conception of Cal. This is developed through the moral dilemma of genetic and fetal selection through which Cal’s parents had struggled to for a long time to have a baby girl only for their regressive genes to work against them (Renneflott, 2011). This occurs when they gave birth to a girl who was although behaving like a boy. The development of this science argument is developed well in the novel with the author applying the use of foreshadowing that shows how the audience should anticipate the change in gender of the main character. Although Milton had gone through various troubles to search for a way to have a baby girl through the use of science, his mother had her own means of deciding the baby’s gender which is mainly through intuition (Lee, 2010).
According to the first persona narrative Desdemona, Milton’s Mother and her spoon had never been wrong and from the first paragraph, the reader definitely believes her as Cal will inevitably become a boy (Eugenides, 2003). She never gives up hr. faith and when 14 years later when Cal returns home as boy, she is happy that she was right all along. At the moment of Cal’s birth, his grandfather collapsed as the coffee cup overturned in the effort to read his fortunes on the ground becoming speechless. This according to Desmond and her never-failing spoon was a bad omen. Despite her beliefs, Callie had been born a girl. The narrator of the novel brings us to a story of many possible truths that are mixed with superstitions, mythology and science (Renneflott, 2011). Eugenides also looks at the conversation between faith and science using both Desdemona and Lefty. Lefty gets to suffer from strokes and she realizes that brain is nothing but just an organ ruling out the soul and the afterlife that he had acquired from religion, “he finally arrived at the cold-eyed conclusion … that the brain was just an organ like any other and that when it failed he would be no more” (Eugenides, 2003). This shows a transition from a religious belief to a more scientific approach on matters including health
The novels relate both science and gender in trying to build a theme around gender conformity. We live in a society where gender is no longer just two as now we have so many genders that people relate with. The science in the book that relates to gender is the issue of Disorder of Sex Development, a disorder that has seen some people being discriminated in the century we live in. When Eugenides was writing his book the issue of Disorder of Sex Development was not widely discussed but he was using his character to try and paint a picture to the society. For Cal’s case he was suffering from a deficiency of 5-alpha-reductase a factor that alters production of dihydrotestosterone a hormone necessary for development of the male genital hormones. Because of the absence of this hormone, Cal’s gene Talia appeared female. Reading through the book, the person I had in mind was Caster Semenya a female athlete who has been on the lime light for her masculine characteristics. She has won several races and some athletes have come out to question whether she deserves to run in female races because of her physique. This kind of treatment by the society illustrates why Cal was hesitant about his gender and he really had to go through so much before completely accepting who he really was and accept himself. It is such treatment by the society that lead people born like Cal to develop even depression as the society judges them and treats them differently yet it is not their fault but rather it all revolves around the genetics of a person. In a society where people look at a person’s genitalia thus determining if they are either female or male without really understanding science, those born with deficiency of dihdrotestosterone are likely to be raised as girl and such a person may eventually never be comfortable with themselves because all their physiques are actually masculine, the only thing that is feminine to them is their genitalia.
There are different ways of understanding the world that involves different views such as mythology, superstition and science. The novel uses the application of science to explain the various ideologies of intersects although at the beginning of the novel was set up to fail. Martin abuses science by verifying Uncle Pete merely because he had studied something to do with medicine and was registered with the scientific American. Uncle Pete as well decided to advise Cal on retaining her feminine identity while trying to schedule a gender rearrangement program. The novel develops a perception to the readers that although there are different views and truth approaches, one needs to carefully examine the information’s that we are often provided to develop our own interpretations that would develop our own truths as we continue to questions the sources of the information. The novel also opens up a discussion that should be held by the society especially on individuals born with masculine structures yet they have feminine genital and vice versa. With science in place it is important for people to be taught this and eliminate the ignorance that some people tend to have.
References
Athanassakis, Y. (2012). ‘The American girl I had once been’: Psychosomatic trauma and history in Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex. European Journal of American Culture, 30(3), 217-230.
Cohen, S. (2007). The Novel in a Time of Terror:” Middlesex”, History, and Contemporary American Fiction. Twentieth-Century Literature, 53(3), 371-393.
Cossman, B. (2003). Sexuality, queer theory, and feminism after Reading and rereading the sexual subject. MCgill lJ, 49, 847.
Eugenides, J. (2003). Middlesex. 2002. Toronto: Vintage Canada.
Lee, M. (2010). Why Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex Is So Inoffensive. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 51(1), 32-46.
Renneflott, L. (2011). Power and identity in Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex (Master’s thesis).
Management and management processes require
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Introduction
Management and management processes require that recruitment of employees as well as their retaining employees should be based on technical criteria. Recruitment refers to the process of hiring qualified candidates both from within and outside an organization for an employment opening. Recruitment should thus be done in a cost effective as well as a timely manner. As a process, it entails the analysis of job requirements, screening, hiring as well as their selection. Classical thinkers emphasize that this function should be done using a technical based criteria. The utility of this criterion has the advantage that an organization is able to employ members that are capable of performing the organization’s task. If recruitment is not done using this criterion, it creates pathology of technocracy in the sense that employees tend to be narrow minded. Eventually, members end up being heartless in the sense that they fail to appreciate the human element in an organization. Employee recruitment therefore is a sensitive aspect in any organization. This paper thus seeks to analyze the concept of employee recruitment in reference to a specific organization.
Conduct research and determine an organization that is deemed to be a great recruiter (and retainer) of talented employees
The United Nations is one of the oldest International Organizations in the world with a workforce throughout the world. It came into being in the aftermath of the carnage of the Second World War with its main principle of operation being the principle of collective security. The Food and Agricultural Organization is another department of the United Nations. This particular entity concerns itself with collection, analysis as well as dissemination of information relating to food and agricultural policies. It also organizes intergovernmental forums that address the aforementioned issues globally. It also approves international agricultural standards as well as agreements. The Food and Agricultural organization also intervenes in disaster stricken communities when human and natural disasters of insect infestations, war as well as droughts strike. FAO thus is an important entity of the UN that addresses issues of food and Agriculture.
Why did you select this firm?
I chose the United Nations because of its diversified functions which include environmental issues, refugee issues, health issues, climate change and financial issues among others. This diversity therefore highlights that indeed the United Nations is a big employer, an equal opportunity employer and a recruiter worldwide. Recruitment by the United Nations therefore a fundamental practice that ensures the organization meets its goals and objectives. The United Nations utilizes a number of tactics as well as strategies to achieve its mandate. It is thus divided into departments; each department performs distinct functions. The United Nations Environmental Program for instance is a major player in issues to do with global environmental concerns. A number of treaties have been signed and ratified under this entity to promote the environment. The Non Proliferation treaty for instance was ratified to stop the spread of environmental non friendly nuclear materials. It also addresses issues of climate change, conflicts and disasters, environmental governance, management of the ecosystem as well as issues that have the end objective of achieving the concept of sustainable development. This entity is thus a fundamental player when it comes to issues addressing global environmental concerns.
Dissect what they do and break it down. Analyze their success.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees as an entity of the United Nations that plays a fundamental role in addressing issues of refugees in disaster and emergency situations. Under its statute, UNHCR has the mandate to pursue refugee protection. It also plays a fundamental role in ensuring refugee assistance as well as solutions. Additionally, it plays the role of addressing the issue of refugee registration and statelessness. It also advises the state actors on behalf of the mother organ on legal issues relating to refugees and asylum seekers. The UNHCR is an important actor during and after an emergency situation.
What are their strategies and tactics?
The WHO plays vital roles in global disaster and emergency situations. It articulates health policies that are based on evidence as well as ethics. It also ensures partnership and collaboration of various health entities on issues regarding to global health. The WHO acts as an early warning system mechanism that detects impending global health problems; especially that of communicative diseases. Overall, the WHO offers technical support as well as rational policies that relate to global health concerns.
The World Food Program (WFP) is another important entity of the United Nations. It plays a number of functions; for instance, WFP plays an important role in disaster preparedness. Conventionally, disaster preparedness is the best way to mitigate against the adverse effects of disasters. The WFP also responds to emergency situations in a number of ways; it is key player in the procurement of food and food stuffs during emergency situations. It also plays a fundamental role in disaster logistics when it comes to delivery of food stuffs to the disaster and emergency stricken communities. It also works in tandem with health sectors to ensure proper nutrition of the affected communities. By proper nutrition, the implication is that the affected communities get the right type of food at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner. Overall, it analyses the issue of global food security and therefore is an important early warning instrument.
What do they do well?
It therefore follows that the United Nations utilizes these departments to achieve its end objectives; concisely therefore, to summarize the above tactics as well as strategies, the UN utilizes the FAO, UNHCR, UNEP, WFP and the WHO to achieve its objectives in the global arena. It utilizes the FAO to achieve global sustainable levels of Food and agricultural issues. The UN utilizes the UNEP to try achieving the concept of global sustainable development. It also uses the UNHCR to address the refugee crises among other objectives. It would therefore not be naïve to state that it is indeed a case scenario of a successful organization.
What do you think needs improvement?
It should be taken into consideration that the United Nations just like other organizations faces a number of challenges. First, being an international organization, it depends solely on the contribution by member nation states. This is a challenge in its and by itself whereby in extreme cases, the member nation states do face a number of domestic problems which are an automatic priority. The UN therefore may suffer from the effect of lack of the much needed finances to run its programs effectively. Another major problem is that, it has no central authority. This implies that the UN may play subject of the nation state actors given the fact that they are the most fundamental players in international relations. There have been a number of instances that the world has witnessed nation states not comply with resolutions passed by the UN councils. This particularly applies to a number of powerful countries. However, even with these challenges, it would be important to acknowledge the organization has indeed done its level best to achieve a number of its general objectives.
To improve on service delivery as well as efficiency, the United Nations needs to address a number of issues. For instance, the issue of interference by a number of state actors is one key area of concern. The United Nations in collaboration of other international actors needs to come up with effective policies that will address the aforementioned issue. It implies that the United Nations needs to have a central coordinating body and mechanism to overcome the issue of interference by state actors.
Conclusion
Employee recruitment is a core management principle that goes a long way in ensuring an organization achieves its objectives as well as goals. For optimum organizational output, employers should therefore recruit based on technical abilities and capacity. The United Nations is one of the most diversified recruiting a workforce from all over the world. The UN achieves its goals and objectives by utilizing a number of its functional departments. The United Nations Environmental program for instance plays a vital role in terms of environmental protection and sustainable development practices. UNHCR plays a vital role in addressing global refugee issues. The WFP plays a number of roles ranging from disaster preparedness to logistic operations in disaster and emergency situations. However, the United Nations faces a number of challenges such as financial constraints as well as interference into its activities by state actors. Overall, the organization is a successful case scenario in terms of one that is an equal opportunity employer.
REFERENCE
Fasulo, Linda. An Insider’s Guide to the UN. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2004.
George Davey Smith (1976) Health inequalities, World Health Organization, Britishlibrary 2003.
Kristin Davkins2003), Global Governance, the battle over planetary power, Canada.
Lynton Keith Caldwell (1996) International Environmental Policy, Durham NorthCarolina.
Mires, Charlene. Capital of the World: The Race to Host the United Nations. New York: New York University Press, 2013.
Abortion and Why it should not be Illegal
Abortion and Why it should not be Illegal
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Abortion and Why it should not be Illegal
The concept of abortion has been one of the primary and controversial matters as it has been the leading cause of substantial debates for a long time. It is with no doubt that people have distinct points of view on whether abortion should be illegal or not. These distinct perspectives have further complicated the topic of abortion, given the fact that those who are against legalizing abortion are more concerned about new life. On the other hand, individuals who support legalization of abortion are more concerned about the welfare of the woman who is pregnant, and under different circumstances, she is not mentally, physically, or emotionally ready to care for a baby. There are different perspectives on why abortion should not be illegal. The primary central populations of concerns are rape victims and individuals who are victims of unplanned pregnancies. These two populations are more likely to be affected by different angles if abortion is illegal. Abortion should be legal to rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies to ensure their mental well-being, minimize the number of unsafe abortions, and reduce the likelihood of these women falling under the poverty line and becoming drug addicts.
Abortion should be made legal for rape victims and individuals with unwanted pregnancies to ensure their mental well-being. First, it is highly critical to acknowledge the fact that women who get raped are victims in their circumstance. Rape is not only physical abuse but also a mental abuse situation. A majority of rape victims frequently undergo psychological issues such as depression. Therefore, it would be morally wrong to force a rape victim to keep a pregnancy that resulted from her rape. Pregnancy will only elevate their anxiety and depression since it will be a burden that reminds them of the sexual assault that they went through. In some cases, pregnant rape victims end up committing suicide if denied the chance to have an abortion. Therefore, it is only reasonable that rape victims are allowed to have an abortion as this would ensure that they recover both physically, and mentally.
Second, in most cases, unplanned pregnancies are a result of failed pregnancy prevention methods such as condoms which are not 100% effective. When a woman states that she has an unplanned pregnancy, it does not necessarily mean that she simply does not want the baby. These women might not be ready emotionally, mentally, or financially to take care of a baby. Forcing these women to keep their pregnancies to term will only assert pressure on their mental health, and this might result in depression. Henceforth, to ensure a healthy mental well-being for rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies, abortion should not be illegal (Bridges, 2013).
Illegalizing abortion does not stop abortion, and it only forces rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies to resort to unsafe abortions from unqualified medical personnel. Unsafe abortion is dangerous as it has adverse effects. A majority of rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies will go out of their way to ensure that they have an unsafe abortion. Unfortunately, there are some unqualified medical personnel who will take advantage of these women’s vulnerability by promising them that they will take them through the process if they get paid. The dire need for unsafe abortion of these rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies eventually forces them to procure an unsafe abortion regardless of the safety and consequences.
Unsafe abortions have a wide range of adverse effects as they reduce the life quality, well-being of those affected, and in some cases, these women might experience life-threatening complications. The difficulties could be infections, hemorrhage, and injuries to internal body organs. Other critical complications include incomplete abortions that require further treatment, uterine perforation. These complications could lead to disabilities and even deaths (Shahbazi, 2012). As a result, the affected women, families, and health system spend a lot of finances to treat the complications that result from unsafe abortions. The government spends millions of dollars on treating complications that arise from unsafe abortions (Vlassoff, Shearer, Walker & Lucas, 2008). Therefore, making abortion illegal will socially and economically affect this population.
Denying abortion to rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies results in increased poverty levels as these women are more likely to fall under the poverty line. Unintended pregnancies are known to prevent these women from completing their education and building successful careers, given the fact that denial to abortion results in psychological conditions such as depression. These mental conditions prevent these women from securing stable employment opportunities, and most of them live from paycheck to paycheck as they are unemployed (Foster et al., 2018).
The poverty levels and depression potentially force these women to seek solace elsewhere by becoming drug users. Drug addiction and poverty are yet other critical issues that result when rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies are denied abortions. As a result, unwanted children become victims as they end up lacking a stable support family system, a good education, and generally a successful future. These children are more likely to become drug addicts and criminals in the future based on the kind of environment that they are raised in (Roberts, Rocca & Foster, 2014). Denying these women abortions prevents them from completing their education or build their careers; henceforth a majority of them end up below the poverty line, and this forces them to become drug addicts. It is therefore evident that making abortion illegal not only affects rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies but also the society as a whole.
Individuals who oppose the legalization of abortion have presented some alternatives to help minimize abortion and unwanted pregnancies. Based on their arguments, abortions could be reduced by minimizing the rates at which women get unwanted pregnancies. It is with no doubt that approximately half of all pregnancies are usually unintended and half of these unintended pregnancies result into abortion. The first way that could reduce abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies is through the introduction of comprehensive sexual education in schools and to the community. This comprehensive sexual education is meant to provide individuals with critical information regarding the use of contraception and abstinence. With regards to the use of contraception, these opponents claim that easy access to contraceptives and pregnancy prevention procedures will reduce unwanted pregnancies, and this will minimize the need for abortions.
Also, women are encouraged to practice safe sex with the use of condoms to prevent themselves from being in situations where they have unintended pregnancies. Another way of reducing abortions is to establish financial organizations that could play a significant role in the lives of rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies. These organizations could ensure that these women are financially capable of carrying their pregnancies to term and be financially capable of taking care of the baby after birth and through its childhood (Thomas, 2012). In other words, these individuals who support the illegalization of abortion believe that the use of contraceptives and other pregnancy prevention methods are practical solutions to unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
Despite the presented current solutions to abortion and unwanted pregnancies, the methods suggested are not thoroughly practical and effective. First and foremost, unintended pregnancies cannot be eliminated using the proposed prevention methods given the fact that just like human beings, these methods of birth control such as the use of contraceptives and condoms are fallible. These unintended pregnancy prevention methods are not 100% fully effective and practical; henceforth, they cannot guarantee the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.
In addition to that, the establishment of financial organizations for pregnant and rape victims does not cater to women who are neither mentally nor emotionally ready to carry their pregnancy to term. Financial constraints are not the only reasons as to why women decide to have abortions, and sometimes, they are not emotionally prepared to have a baby. Therefore forcing these emotionally unprepared women to have babies will result in resentment and neglect of the babies.
Also, the proposed solutions to abortion and unwanted pregnancies are not inclusive to rape victims. Rape is an unfortunate incident that could happen to any woman at any time regardless of the age, place, or situation. Being raped is already traumatic for any woman; therefore, there is not a justifiable reason to why rape victims should be denied abortions. Henceforth, the current solutions to abortion and unwanted pregnancies because they are inevitable. The proposed methods do not cater to women who are neither mentally nor emotionally ready to carry their pregnancy to term, and they do not consider the emotional state of rape victims.
The current solutions to abortion and unwanted pregnancies; however, there are better solutions that could play a significant role in the controversial issue of abortion and unwanted pregnancies. To begin with, in the case of rape victims, the first way to prevent unwanted pregnancies would be the encouragement of rape victims to seek immediate medical attention after their assault incident. This immediate medical attention is a critical element in minimizing the chances of pregnancy.
In cases where the rape victims end up getting pregnant, they should be allowed to undergo an abortion. An abortion by rape victims is justifiable as it protects both their physical and mental wee-being. Legalizing abortion would also give these rape victims a chance to heal emotionally as they will not be burdened with a pregnancy that constantly reminds them of their sexual assault. Through this, these rape victims would have solutions to their problem as they would not unwillingly carry their pregnancy to term (Franz, 2013).
As mentioned earlier, unwanted pregnancies cannot be, given the fact that the prevention methods are not utterly effective. Women with unwanted pregnancies should be consulted on whether or not they would like to carry their pregnancies to term. Not every woman with an unwanted pregnancy wants an abortion, and some are willing to carry the pregnancy to term and give the baby up for adoption. This consultation should be inclusive of advice on the other options that they could have if they decided to keep the pregnancy. The primary option for an unwanted baby is giving up the baby for adoption. After this counseling, if the pregnant woman does not want to keep the pregnancy, she should be allowed to have an abortion (Simmonds & Likis, 2011).
Henceforth, legalizing abortions would provide women with unwanted pregnancies with an option to maintain healthy mental well-being, and a chance to finish school or pursue a career for a better future. This method is inclusive and would cater to women who are financially or emotionally not ready for a baby. Allowing these women to have an abortion would also reduce the risk of them being involved in substance abuse and child neglect.
In conclusion, it is evident that making abortion illegal has a variety of consequences as it results in psychological conditions such as depression, increases the number of unsafe abortions, and elevates the likelihood of rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies from falling under the poverty line and becoming drug addicts. Other than that, forcing women to have unwanted babies also endangered the lives of the children as they will live in poverty, engage in substance abuse, and get involved in criminal activities. It is perceptible that making abortion illegal not only affects rape victims and women with unwanted pregnancies but also society as a whole. Henceforth, legalizing abortion would have an overall benefit as it would protect society from different perspectives. Legalizing abortion would protect rape victims, women with unwanted pregnancies, children that result from rape or unwanted pregnancies, and community. Therefore, legalizing abortion id more beneficial as compared to making it illegal.
References
Bridges, K. M. (2013). When pregnancy is an injury: rape, law, and culture. Stan. L. Rev., 65, 457.
Franz, W. (2013). The Psychology of Rape. Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Change, 25(2).
Foster, D. G., Biggs, M. A., Ralph, L., Gerdts, C., Roberts, S., & Glymour, M. M. (2018). Socioeconomic outcomes of women who receive and women who are denied wanted abortions in the United States. American journal of public health, 108(3), 407-413.
Roberts, S. C., Rocca, C. H., & Foster, D. G. (2014). Receiving versus being denied an abortion and subsequent drug use. Drug and alcohol dependence, 134, 63-70.
Shahbazi, S. (2012). The consequences of unsafe abortion: a qualitative study. Journal of advanced nursing, 68(6), 1247-1255.
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