WGST 272
Sex in Society: The Cultural Constructions of Reproduction Fall 2009
Division II
Cross-listed REL 272 / ANTH 272
This is not the current course catalog

Why is reproduction such a controversial subject in medicine as well as religious and cultural discourses more broadly? And why is the reproductive body subject to such highly ideological and yet contradictory types of practices across the globe? This course seeks to examine the myriad ways that societies police the range of practices surrounding reproduction–including fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth, abortion, and motherhood. The class will pursue a comparative analysis of reproduction across major cultures and religions, as well as a deeper understanding of specialized topics such as the new reproductive technologies, the medicalization and ritualization of obstetrics in America, the continuing controversies over abortion across the globe, and the fracas over motherhood in the US popularly dubbed the ‘Mommy Wars’. Throughout the course, we remain focused on the cultural, social, and medical construction of birth and reproduction more generally. To this end, we explore the varying ritual and medical practices that surround birth in different cultural contexts, from high tech to low tech settings and societies. We will deconstruct the process of human reproduction through readings culled from a variety of cultures and disciplines including anthropology, medicine, religious studies, sociology, and women’s studies. By the end of the course, we will appreciate how and why reproduction in such a contentious issue today.