Research Catalog

Title

Behind the silence : Chinese voices on abortion / Jing-Bao Nie.

Author

Nie, Jing-Bao, 1962-

Publication

Lanham, MD : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, ©2005.

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Details

Description

x, 294 pages; 24 cm.

Summary

"Behind the Silence is the first in-depth work in any language to explore the diverse perspectives of mainland Chinese regarding induced abortion and fetal life in the context of the world's most ambitious and intrusive family planning program. Bringing to light the range of Chinese views and experiences, Nie Jing-Bao draws on extensive primary sources and intensive fieldwork, including surveys by and interviews with hundreds of rural, urban, and overseas Chinese. Nie's exploration of the multi-layered meanings of public silence, official pronouncements, forgotten controversies from the Imperial era, public and private consensus and disagreement, women's personal stories, and doctors' narratives provides compelling evidence on the remarkably varied, sometimes critical, and often tormented voices of the Chinese people. Revealing a surprising range of beliefs and feelings concerning the morality of abortion and fetal life, the book nevertheless finds widespread acceptance of national population policies. It also examines the personal anguish and complex socio-cultural and ethical issues entwined with coerced abortion essential to enforce birth-control policies. In addition, the author argues, the abortion issue illustrates the importance of taking seriously China's internal plurality if Westerners and Chinese are to develop a fruitful cross-cultural dialogue."--Jacket.

Series Statement

Asian voices

Uniform Title

Asian voices (Rowman and Littlefield, Inc.)

Subject

• Abortion > China
• Abortion > Moral and ethical aspects > China
• Family planning > China
• Women's studies > China
• Eugenics > China
• Birth control > China
• Abortion, Induced > ethics
• Abortion, Induced > psychology
• Family Planning Policy
• Birth control
• Abortion
• Abortion > Moral and ethical aspects
• Eugenics
• Family planning
• Population policy
• Women's studies
• Bevölkerungspolitik
• Ethik
• Schwangerschaftsabbruch
• China > Population policy
• China

Note

• "Foreword by Arthur Kleinman"--Cover.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-275) and index.

Contents

Foreword / by Arthur Kleinman -- Introduction -- Listening to the silence: the absence of public debate and its meaning -- "Instructions" from above: official positions -- The forgotten controversies: heritage of imperial times -- Tidings from the populace: consensus and contention in the survey results -- Bitterness beyond words: women's narratives -- Fulfilling discordant duties: doctors' narratives -- An inquiry into coerced abortion: sociocultural and ethical issues -- The challenge of cross-cultural dialogue: taking seriously China's internal plurality -- Appendix: the pilot study, the survey, and the interviews.

ISBN

• 0742523705
• 9780742523708
• 0742523713
• 9780742523715

LCCN

2005009543

OCLC

• ocm59003457
• 59003457
• SCSB-1377468

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library