Book Review: The reproduction of inequality: How class shapes the pregnant body and infant health

Abstract

"The Reproduction of Inequality examines women's work on their bodies during pregnancy and postpartum; while mothers typically focus on the health benefits of their choices about breastfeeding or prenatal diet and exercise, these practices also display and perpetuate status inequalities from one generation to the next"-- Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1. Maternal Embodiment: How Reproductive Body Projects Work -- 2. The Gender of Wellness: The Labor of Body Care Falls to Mothers -- 3. The Costs of Avoiding Risk: Trust and Accountability -- 4. The Stories Mothers Tell: Class Identity in Women's Body-Care Narratives -- 5. Rigid and Flexible Agency: Navigating Bodily Change and Unpredictability -- 6. Care Work as Status Work: The Child's Body as a Site of Social Reproduction -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix: List of Interview Subjects -- Notes -- References -- Index -- About the Author.