Download e-book for kindle: Surgically Shaping Children: Technology, Ethics, and the by Erik Parens

At a time whilst clinical applied sciences make it ever more straightforward to reinforce our minds and our bodies, a debate has arisen approximately even if such efforts advertise a technique of "normalization," which makes it ever tougher to tolerate the ordinary anatomical alterations between us. the talk turns into in particular advanced whilst it addresses the surgical alteration, or "shaping," of youngsters. This quantity explores the moral and social matters raised by means of the new proliferation of surgical procedures designed to make childrens born with actual alterations glance extra normal.

Using 3 cases―surgeries to get rid of craniofacial abnormalities resembling cleft lip and palate, surgical procedures to right ambiguous genitalia, and surgical procedures to elongate the limbs of kids born with dwarfism―the members give some thought to the tensions mom and dad adventure while making such life-altering judgements on behalf of or with their children.

The essays during this quantity provide in-depth examinations of the importance and bounds of surgical alteration via own narratives, theoretical reflections, and urban feedback approximately the right way to increase the decision-making strategy. Written from the views of affected youngsters and their mom and dad, health and wellbeing care services, and best students in philosophy, sociology, historical past, legislation, and drugs, this assortment presents an built-in and entire starting place from which to contemplate a fancy and debatable factor. It takes the reader on a trip from reflections at the details of present scientific practices to reflections on one of many private and most complicated of human wants: the will for normality.

Contributors

Priscilla Alderson, Adrienne Asch, Cassandra Aspinall, Alice Domurat Dreger, James C. Edwards, Todd C. Edwards, Ellen okay. Feder, Arthur W. Frank, Lisa Abelow Hedley, Eva Fedder Kittay, Hilde Lindemann, Jeffery L. Marsh, Paul Steven Miller, Sherri G. Morris, Wendy E. Mouradian, Donald L. Patrick, Nichola Rumsey, Emily Sullivan Sanford, Tari D. Topolski