This article presents evidence stating that the more educated a woman is, the more likely she is to breast feed. Now commonly considered one of the best practices for a healthy child, development and future health, breast feeding is highly encouraged by health providers and by the national government. Yet education is not the only factor influencing who breast feeds and who doesn't. The article states that african american women with college degrees are less likely to breastfeed than white women with college degrees. This implies that breast feeding is somewhat of a cultural practice, and not only hangs on education.
This article really makes me reflect on the policies that shape 1) education and 2) cultural norms. People with better health care are usually better educated. They recieve more preventetive procedures and take prevenetative (such as breast feeding), which ultimately betters their quality of life and the quality of life of their children. This ciclical measure of good health is generally feuled by government policies. The United States has a higher level of health education overall, which through its policies is encouraging breast feeding to women on a natural level. Yet in some nations there are cultural factors that might influence what the government promots generally as far as health care goes, what they are able to educate thier citizens on, and what they are able to warn women against. When a government is unable to give or even teach about preventative health care, quality of life and life expectancy are much harder to increase.
If health is a universal human right, and some governments cannot afford to extend it to all of itz citizens, there becomes a political and social disparity between nations, and classes within nations.
This reminds me of the feminist theory readings we were focusing on last week. The breastfeeding issue is an example of how issues that seem personal to women can have an impact on a national or global scale. In this case, women's health and education play a clear role in the well-being of the nation over all (not just the female population). This certainly becomes a political issue when women's chances for quality healthcare and education are dictated by government policies. It seems that most of the other theories we studied, however, would not regard breastfeeding as an issue with national, perhaps, international political implications.
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