1. findings
1.1. No consensus on what a fetus is, except ambiguity and uncertainty
1.2. fetus not regarded separately from the pregnant woman
1.3. Abortion discussions, while rare, were on the women and their ethical stances and not on the fetus itself.
1.4. pregnancy is considered God’s will; fetus is a conceptual entity, not a biological one
1.5. Concept of the auca – unfinished being
1.6. many deaths at birth go unrecorded
1.7. Abortion considered a mutilation of the mother, a sin
1.8. Acceptable in some cases
1.9. Gestational development – differences between males and females
1.10. Building ‘persons’ is women’s responsibility
1.11. Radically different from US understandings of fetus and persons
2. Research studied the relationship between ideas about fetal identity, development, and personhood, and morality and practice of induced abortion.
3. conducted a comparative anthropological study of people in the Andean region in Ecuador.
3.1. 1988 spent two months in the Andean town of San Gabriel, Carchi province, north of Ecuador’s capital, Quito.
3.2. interviewed thirty women
3.3. In 1992 spent six months in Ecuador and went to Quito
3.4. interviewed physicians, nurses, midwives, midwifery students, clergy, and members of local women’s organizations.
4. pro-life
4.1. technological advancements enable "Pro-Lifers" to make better 'scientific' arguments about how life begins at conception
4.1.1. "Pro-Lifers" often use public strategies to capture attention by displaying public imagery through things such as anti-abortion billboards
4.1.2. "Pro-Lifers" also use methods such as private meetings with pregnant woman to share their thoughts and reasoning with them
5. pro choice
5.1. Pro-choice is the position which advocates the existence of a woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
5.1.1. it also encompasses birth control, sex education and healthy pregnancies
6. fundamental gender understanding
6.1. fetus
6.1.1. American views vs. Andean
6.1.1.1. in American culturescience is used to personify the fetus
6.1.1.1.1. modern medical imaging is used to track the development of the fetus
6.1.1.2. in Andean culture a fetus is not recognized as a person even with use of modern technological advancements
6.1.1.3. in both American as well as Andean cultures religion plays a major role in practices regarding pregnant women and fetuses