<b>The possibility of a new norm on the relationship between childbirth and child rearing</b>

• Takeuchi Michiru

  Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

• Rakugi Akiko

  Faculty of Welfare System and Health Science, Okayama Prefectural University

• Sugiman Toshio

  Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• <b>産むことと育てることを分離する社会規範の可能性</b>
• NPO法人「環の会」の事例から

Abstract

This study explored the possibility of a new social norm concerning child rearing that is different from the traditional norm prevalent in Japan, that one should raise the child one bears. In contrast, the study demonstrated that this new norm does not require one to raise the child one bears. The new norm implies that a child should be accepted unconditionally by society regardless of how the child was conceived or by whom.<br>　　　The researchers studied the activities of Motherly Network, a non-profit organization, using the method of intensive participant observation. We interpreted the results and concluded that they revealed a new norm. A female leader of the organization devoted her time, day and night, to assist women who became pregnant unexpectedly either because they were raped or because their birth control failed. During this time period, the organization promoted child adoption for a couple who did not have, but wanted to have a child. The leader suggested that the pregnant woman could bear the child even if she could not raise the child by herself, offering her the alternative of child adoption. The organization also respected the right of the biological mother by guiding the adoptive parents to initiate and maintain an ongoing dialog with both their adopted child regarding his/her origins and the biological mother. This is rare and not commonly recognized among adoptive families in Japan. The organization respected the right of a biological mother to meet her child and arranged meetings of the two whenever the adoptive family agreed. Again this is an unusual arrangement and not commonly found in Japan.<br>　　　The new norm changes the sense of entitlement concerning child rearing. In the traditional norm, a sense of entitlement is combined with the assumption that one has the responsibility and the right to raise the child one has birthed. However, under the new norm, one has the right to raise one's child only when one is given permission to raise one's child by a society that accepts the child unconditionally.

Journal

• Journal of 'Group Dynamics'

  Journal of 'Group Dynamics' 27 (0), 62-75, 2010

  Japan Institute for Group Dynamics

Keywords

• child-rearing
• child-birth
• pregnancy
• child adoption
• social norm

Details

• CRID: 1390282680461598208
• NII Article ID: 130004998426
• DOI: 10.11245/jjgd.27.62
• ISSN: 21854718
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed