Recreating Motherhood. Ideology and Technology in a Patriarchal Society

Rothman, a sociologist at the City University of New York, is herself a wife and mother, and her third book, following In Labor and The Tentative Pregnancy , centers on how ``motherhood'' can be undermined by technology. Indicting scientific ``progress'' that can reduce women to machines bearing children for sale, she adds her opinion to the controversary surrounding ``Baby M'' and related issues. Rothman warns of the grave social problems already evinced by alternative methods of ``having'' babies, such as surrogacy, artificial conception, etc. Readers may quarrel with some of the author's convictions but they will agree with her argument that it's past time for women to restore motherhood to its proper status.