‘Should I Buy Her a Doll’? Motherhood and Turner Syndrome in Poland

ABSTRACT

Turner syndrome (TS) is a genetic condition that affects only girls and women, leading to health issues including infertility. Patients usually require recombinant growth hormone, and sex hormone therapy. Based on our anthropological research in Poland, we posit questions regarding the management of societal expectations by female parents regarding the femininity of their daughters, especially within the context of infertility. We query: Is it possible to understand TS and its consequences as not only being an obstacle to future plans, but also having emancipatory potential? To answer this question, we refer to the concept of hope and analyze the interpretative work of mothers of girls with TS.

KEYWORDS:

• daughter
• femininity
• genetic disorder
• infertility
• motherhood
• Poland
• Turner syndrome

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Małgorzata Rajtar, Anna Krawczak, and Maria Reimann for inspiring discussions, mutual support, and collaboration on the project. We are particularly grateful to all the girls and women with TS, their families, and physicians who agreed to participate in this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. All names have been changed.

Additional information

Funding

The research is funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education/National Program for the Development of Humanities [grant no. 2bH 15 0137 83].

Notes on contributors

Magdalena Radkowska-Walkowicz

Magdalena Radkowska-Walkowicz is an associate professor at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Warsaw, and the member of Childhood Studies Interdisciplinary Research Team. Her academic interest is in childhood and youth studies, medical anthropology, new reproductive technologies. She is the author of numerous articles (eg. in Children's Geographies, Reproductive Health Matters, European Journal of Women’s Studies, Journal of Religion and Health), edited volumes and books (eg. In vitro experience. Infertility and new reproductive technologies from the anthropological perspective [in Polish]).

Ewa Maciejewska-Mroczek

Ewa Maciejewska-Mroczek works as an assistant professor at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw. She is a member of the Interdisciplinary Childhood Studies Research Team at the University of Warsaw. Main academic interests: childhood and the place children have in modern societies and cultures. She works mainly at intersection of childhood studies and medical anthropology. Her recent research project centers on pandemic in Poland.