Fetus as "doer"?

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:46 pm

Looking for personal opinions on the sentences below. Is the use of the verb abort acceptable to you there?

In case of this type of genetic malformation, the embryo will abort.

In case of this type of genetic malformation, an embryo will abort itself.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:02 am

Getting back to 'aborted women', it is unclear if this is just a sort of academic or journalistic shorthand, or actually a term that is used to attract the attention of, and then used amongst, 'women exploited by abortion' themselves.

I'm not a counsellor so I wouldn't presume to tell anybody anything, but if somebody is trying to deal with massive feelings of guilt and regret, won't casting them as (the) victims be a little counter-productive? I wonder how the women themselves feel about the (continual?) use of the term. But I appreciate the possible power/utility of the metaphor in getting people "through the door" at least and into an environment where they can start getting support.

In nature, things can abort if they want - I'm certainly not stopping them LOL.

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:10 am

fluffyhamster wrote:Getting back to 'aborted women', it is unclear if this is just a sort of academic or journalistic shorthand, or actually a term that is used to attract the attention of, and then used amongst, 'women exploited by abortion' themselves.

I'm not a counsellor so I wouldn't presume to tell anybody anything, but if somebody is trying to deal with massive feelings of guilt and regret, won't casting them as (the) victims be a little counter-productive? I wonder how the women themselves feel about the (continual?) use of the term. But I appreciate the possible power/utility of the metaphor in getting people "through the door" at least and into an environment where they can start getting support.

In nature, things can abort if they want - I'm certainly not stopping them LOL.

Not all women who have gone through/chose to have an abortion agree with the term "aborted women".

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096489 ... e&n=283155

I'm not a counsellor so I wouldn't presume to tell anybody anything, but if somebody is trying to deal with massive feelings of guilt and regret, won't casting them as (the) victims be a little counter-productive?

Could be, but it also could work to the advantage of the pro-life groups. Tell a grieving or regretful woman that she is a victim and was fooled into having an abortion and she may just consider joining your campaign.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:30 pm

Just wondering if these ESL doctors who learn 'The fetus aborted' are then also as fluent and comfortable saying 'This poor woman had a miscarriage'...

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:46 am

fluffyhamster wrote:Just wondering if these ESL doctors who learn 'The fetus aborted' are then also as fluent and comfortable saying 'This poor woman had a miscarriage'...

Is this thread revival season, Fluffed?

What do you want to say with what you're trying to say, Fluff?

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:25 am

Oh,I've just read Pauline Chen's 'Final Exam',and was struck (again) by how unfeeling doctors can seem; and it's often interesting to ask how "basic facts" might get expressed differently (more appropriately) given different listeners-or would you consider this outside your and your medical students' "brief"?

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:44 am

Yup, it's the Cutehamster Clearmud Revival!

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 6:55 pm

fluffyhamster wrote: and it's often interesting to ask how "basic facts" might get expressed differently (more appropriately) given different listeners-or would you consider this outside your and your medical students' "brief"?

Not outside at all. In fact, we work with doctor's, getting them to question the language they use in different registers.