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According to the dictionary, motherhood IS a default setting because it is the result of not preventing pregnancy. Inaction or neglect to practice birth control will, likely, result in pregnancy, hence, motherhood.
1. failure to act; inaction or neglect
6. Computers . a value that a program or operating system assumes, or a course of action that a program or operating system will take, when the user or programmer specifies no overriding value or action.
I don't think so. Agreed we have the factory installed equipment but just because we CAN do something doesn't mean we SHOULD. And not ever woman CAN get pregnant, even if they do have sex. It's a process and you never know until you try what the outcome will be.
According to the dictionary, motherhood IS a default setting because it is the result of not preventing pregnancy. Inaction or neglect to practice birth control will, likely, result in pregnancy, hence, motherhood.
1. failure to act; inaction or neglect
6. Computers . a value that a program or operating system assumes, or a course of action that a program or operating system will take, when the user or programmer specifies no overriding value or action.
This presumes that SEX is also a default. It is not. Having sex is a CHOICE, pregnancy can only result after that choice is made. Therefore it is not the biological default.
All this BS about pregnancy being the "natural" state of womanhood is just that, BS. People love to claim "nature" when it supports the choices they have made personally and ignore all of the other "natural" consequences that they do not choose.
It is as natural to get STDs, as it is to be pregnant. As a matter of fact chlamydia evolved before people. Does that make it "unnatural" to prevent STDs?
It is "natural" to give birth in a field somewhere, does that mean women who UNNATURALLY chose to give birth in a hospital are less womanly?
Finally, it is "natural" for far more newborns to die than do currently but through all of the unnatural miracles of medicine that isn't happening, does that make it unnatural to provide medical care for babies?
Enough, of this "natural" crap. Humans left natural far behind when it comes to reproduction long before they even came up with birth control.
This presumes that SEX is also a default. It is not. Having sex is a CHOICE, pregnancy can only result after that choice is made. Therefore it is not the biological default.
Unfortunately, sex is not always a choice. Rape is a very real problem in this country. Not everyone who becomes pregnant has a say in the matter (unless one believes the Todd Akins of the world, which I most definitely do not.). Try telling women who are raped and who get pregnant -- an estimated tens of thousands of women every year in this country alone -- that they had a choice in the matter. (now they may or may not have a choice about whether or not to have the baby, but no one can seriously suggest that they had any "choice" about the pregnancy itself.)
I don't think it's worth getting upset over whether or not it's "natural" to have children. I do consider motherhood to be the default option, as women are biologically designed to have children. But biological default and cultural default are two separate, sometimes related, issues. That's true of pretty much every realm of human activity. And I don't think that there's any need to assume that all women are going to have children. Clearly they aren't.
Unfortunately, sex is not always a choice. Rape is a very real problem in this country. Not everyone who becomes pregnant has a say in the matter (unless one believes the Todd Akins of the world, which I most definitely do not.). Try telling women who are raped and who get pregnant -- an estimated tens of thousands of women every year in this country alone -- that they had a choice in the matter. (now they may or may not have a choice about whether or not to have the baby, but no one can seriously suggest that they had any "choice" about the pregnancy itself.)
Rape is a choice, made by the rapist. Pregnancy from rape is not "natural" in anyway. And the CHOICE they do have, is what to do next. That is the way most rape survivors take the power back. Pretending that pregnancy is the default natural condition for women, takes their power away again.
Oh and btw, in this country, there are slightly less than 100k rapes a year, and considering only 5-7% of them have been found to result in pregnancy. Its not tens of thousands. I understand the sentiment but the real numbers are too meaningful to exaggerate ridiculously.
And another btw, many rape survivors and conselors like to make the distinction between sex, and rape.
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I don't think it's worth getting upset over whether or not it's "natural" to have children. I do consider motherhood to be the default option, as women are biologically designed to have children.
No they are not. Men start out female, and except for the proper application of testosterone, they would be women. And incapable of giving birth. The idea that women are only natural if they can have children biological is harmful, belittling, and ultimately, WRONG biologically.
So since you don't get upset, maybe have some consideration for the real tens of thousands of women who are NATURAL women, and cannot biologically have children if you cannot muster any kindness for the NATURAL women who choose not to have children.
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But biological default and cultural default are two separate, sometimes related, issues. That's true of pretty much every realm of human activity. And I don't think that there's any need to assume that all women are going to have children. Clearly they aren't.
Ok, want to get into the biology. I am game. Shall we start with the fact that biological gender is a function of genetics and not possession of reproductive organs? Or in your opinion, people like my sister, who do not have uteruses not "natural" women either.
One point of clarification, RAINN states there are 207, 000 REPORTED rapes in the US annually in women over the age of 12. Numbers are thought to be much higher. That would result in over 10, 000 pregnancies just from reported rapes.
Is fatherhood a default setting? Are men just fathers-in-waiting? I see nothing about this, as usual. Why? Because we still have this misguided notion that women are meant to be mothers, first and foremost.
BTW, the GOP is ridiculous with their impotent pandering to females. If they want the female vote, maybe they should start with supporting platforms and policies that are good for women.
Is fatherhood a default setting? Are men just fathers-in-waiting? I see nothing about this, as usual. Why? Because we still have this misguided notion that women are meant to be mothers, first and foremost.
BTW, the GOP is ridiculous with their impotent pandering to females. If they want the female vote, maybe they should start with supporting platforms and policies that are good for women.
Wow, you have a chip on your shoulder. BTW, who said anything about politics?
Who said anything about women being meant to be mothers, first and foremost? No one. The point is, because women are who bear the child, motherhood is the natural consequence of having sex generally.
I know LOTS of women who were clearly not meant to be mothers but still have children, and I know LOTS of women who choose not to have children for many reasons, but would be wonderful mothers.
BUT, given no choices, motherhood is likely to be the consequence of having sex or being raped.
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