Chart: Dynamic Interaction Analysis of Bourdieu’s CapitalFormations (Source: Analysed by author)
The flowchart divides the contracted pregnancy into three stages
(pre-contract, pregnancy, and post-delivery stage) and four specific
time points (prior to the informed consent, the start of the contract,
child delivery, and the date for contract termination). The x-axis
represents separate time periods, while the y-axis explains the level of
capital accumulated, either positively or negatively. The ebbs and flows
of all types of capital formations remain highly self-reflexive from
surrogates’ perspectives and are associated with their self-positioning in
Indian society, confined to all socioeconomic constraints and their
struggle for agency. The dynamic interaction analysis constitutes three
original types of Bourdieu’s capital, being economic, cultural,
and social. Viewing social capital as an aggregated form of capital,
besides emotional capital being the main variant, there are two other
underlying sub-variants: one accumulated from ties with intending
parents whereas the other within family and local communities.
According to the previous analysis on the forming of all capitals,
economic capital is the most direct as it is accumulated positively
throughout. It begins with A1 at the start of the contract as
some intending parents start to provide monetary and in-kind benefits
during surrogate’s pregnancy, and gradually increase across
post-delivery stage, at A2 , till contract terminates, atA3 . For cultural capital, it remains negatively accumulated
across all stages due to the influence of social stigma. And the fact
that cultural knowledge and traditional values have heavily influenced
the forming of social capital makes it situate at an even lower and
negative entry point, at C1 , than that of social capital, atB1 , and its sub-variant form, at B2.3.1 . Cultural capital
increases negatively over time, crossing C2 , reaching its peak
during the last few months of pregnancy, and gradually decreases in
post-delivery stage passing C3 until contract terminates, atC4 , of which the last point remains roughly the same as C1for the power of Bourdieu’s Habitus may oppress surrogates as it
does at the initial status.
Lastly, the trajectory of the original type of social capital (B1to B4 ) fluctuates based on the synergy of the route changing of
emotional capital (B2.1.1 to B2.1.4 ) and that of the two
sub-variant forms of social capital (B2.2.1 to B2.2.4 &B2.3.1 to B2.3.4 ). Looking firstly at emotional capital,
it is formed positively initially, at B2.1.1 , showing the level
of autonomy competency acquired by surrogates in relational autonomy
when struggling for agency. When entering the contracted pregnancy, atB2.1.2 , emotional capital follows the pattern of original type of
social capital from B2 to B4 , continuing to increase
during pregnancy and decreasing over time from B2.1.3 toB2.1.4 , terminating roughly at where the initial pointB2.1.1 situates as emotional capital is self-reflexive and thus
decreases back to where surrogates initially are socially and
culturally. Shifting towards the two sub-variants: one with intending
parents and the other with family and local communities, the former only
increases after the contract begins, at B2.2.1 , whereas the
latter already existed in the negative value in pre-contract stage, atB2.3.1 .
As the social capital with intending parents grows positively over time
during surrogate’s pregnancy mainly because of the “gift-giving
sisterhood”, it gradually decreases after giving birth, atB2.2.2 , and terminates at B2.2.3 , remaining slightly
positive in the hope to have further external social bonding afterwards.
Regarding the social capital with family and local communities, it moves
similarly as that of cultural capital due to the power of structure and
that of emotional capital for being self-reflexive, continuing to
negatively accumulate after the contract begins, at B2.3.2 . The
interesting flat U-turn before entering the post-delivery stage, atB2.3.3 , symbolises an (possible) enhanced perception by the
locals on surrogates (Arvidsson et al, 2017), but then again decreases
till the similar level of initial status as the contract terminates, atB2.3.4 , for a more stigmatised perception on surrogates may
outperform the positive thinking from family especially husband on their
wife.