The other day Swedish Radio sent a program titled Boende påverkar fostret (Housing effects fetus) saying that our housing area lay the foundation for our unborn babies health. The comparison was made between a posh Stockholm area (Östermalm) and a, what they call, a “socially segregated neighborhood” in Stockholm (Fittja).
Living conditions and its relation to health is neither new or a mystery, but the reaction to this program amongst fellow hoodsresidents where pretty strong since the program proposed the ”new” research in a predestined and permanent social model. A pregnant women said, “Now he is marked even before he is born”, while looking down at her pouching stomach.
I am also tempted to disregard this as deterministic bull shit but I do think that we have to acknowledge the fact that people are social products, but we are also creative, rational and socially reflexive. In other words pregnant mum, there is a lot of hope for your unborn child. Make it happen!