Monday, October 12, 2015

Analyzing My Text's Cultural Setting

In this post, I will be analyzing the cultural aspects that may have influenced the publication or writing process of the New York Times article "The Unregulated Sperm Industry" by Rene Almeling.

1. What values, ideas, norms, beliefs, even laws of the culture play an important role the text?

The values that play an important role in the text are cultural values of the United States. Family oriented values are huge in this article, with the author pushing the lines of what a "traditional American family" looks like. However, the laws of the United States also play a large role in the article, as the article is about regulating the laws about sperm donation.


"Sperm" Anonymous, for public domain

2. Does the text address these cultural values, beliefs, etc., directly or indirectly?

The text addresses the cultural views pretty directly. Legal jargon is comfortably used, and the author addresses legal complexities and how they affect the audience. The author presents real-life examples of issues that have come up based on the lack of regulation in the sperm industry. In addition to the direct approach, the author indirectly addresses the cultural values through theorizing about the impact of HIV on donation.


3. What is the relationship of the text to the values, beliefs, etc.? Is is critical of these aspects of the culture? Is it supportive? Does it seek to modify these aspects of the culture in a certain way?

The text attempts to adhere to to laws of the United States. However, the author doesn't take a strong position on ethical or moral laws. Almeling recognizes that with such a controversial topic, in order to remain unbiased, there must be more than one perspective on the cultural beliefs. However, the article does sometimes appear to attempt to modify positive and negative cultural perceptions of sperm donation.

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