Discussion Questions
1. Given that infertility treatments are much cheaper outside of the United States, what do you think about the decision of many to pursue IVF and surrogacy in other countries?
2. What role should a doctor or gynecologist play with regard to informing patients about fertility over time? What questions should women ask their doctor?
3. What do you think about the conflict between parenthood and career becoming such a hot topic, as seen with the controversy around Anne-Marie Slaughter’s essay “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” and Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In?
4. Do you feel that feminism contributed to the current bind for women between succeeding at both developing careers and building families? Do you think that feminism can also provide a way forward, and if so, what does that way forward look like? How can we get there?
5. How can we normalize conversations among women about miscarriages, infertility, and reproductive challenges? Does the conversation begin on a macro level (media outlets, celebrities), a micro level (friends, peer groups), or a combination thereof?
6. How can the media have a discussion about the touchy topics of women who focus primarily on careers and those who prioritize family (and whether that dichotomy even exists) without alienating a large segment of its audience? Is there a middle ground of open, intelligent discourse about the subject, and if so, how should media figures work towards finding a balanced tone that supports women in general rather than creating subsets of women to face off against each other?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)
Big Lie: Motherhood (Selvaratnam) - Discussion Questions
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