Histories of Reproduction in the United States 4219-SA129
The course covers a range of aspects pertaining to reproduction, such as birth control, abortion, delivery, infertility, sterilization, surrogacy. Our special emphasis will be on the discrepancies in the experiences and discourses of reproduction depending on gender, class, race, and ethnicity. We will read and problematize histories of men and women who wrote about their experiences with infertility, abortion, or unwed parenthood. We will also scrutinize some public debates in which reproduction was the main focus (for instance, eugenics or surrogacy).
The course will be divided into two main parts. The first one is historical; its aim will be to learn how certain aspects of reproduction (such as delivery, birth control, abortion) and politics concerning them were shaped in the past. The main, second part of the course will be devoted to the period after World War II. We will examine such issues as: the role of men and their reproductive experiences (for instance, with infertility), the peculiarities in the politics of African-American reproduction, the fears of unrestraint reproduction of Mexicans and other immigration groups, the changing politics of child delivery. We will stress social and cultural aspects of the discussed themes as well as the role that medicine, science, and law played in shaping the contemporary politics of reproduction.
Course coordinators
Type of course
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will:
1. KNOWLEDGE
- have in-depth knowledge of reproductive policies and practices in the United States, both historically and in the present day
- understand and be able to explain the connections between reproductive legislation and women’s rights in the United States
- understand the impact of race, class, and gender on the reproductive practices of women and men in the United States
2. SKILLS
- be able to synthesize material to present arguments demonstrating their understanding of reproductive history and policy in the U.S.
- is able to use scholarly publications to understand and explain the history and politics of reproduction in the U.S.
- is able to locate and identify reliable and relevant sources of information on reproductive policies and practices in the United States
3. SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
- is able to present assigned material independently and in a group, and to formulate and defend their opinion
- is able to speak in public, presenting arguments in support of their theses
- values diversity and the variety of opinions and cultures
Assessment criteria
1. attendance – 2 absences allowed; sick notes are to be presented immediately after the missed class
2. pop-up quizzes (10%)
3. active participation in class discussion (30%) - students need to come to class PREPARED, knowing the assigned readings
4. presentation (20%) – short (max. 20 min.) presentation of an assigned article
5. final test (40%)
Any use of Generative AI Tools must be consulted with the instructor and explained in detail in the submitted work. Otherwise, it constitutes a breach of academic integrity.
Bibliography
Briggs, Laura. Reproducing Empire. Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico. Berkley – Los Angeles – London 2002.
Brodie, Janet. Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth Century America. Ithaca – London 1994.
Dubnow, Sara. Ourselves Unborn. A History of the Fetus in Modern America. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Kline, Building a Better Race: Gender, Sexuality, and Eugenics from the Turn of the Century to the Baby Boom. Berkley – Los Angeles – London 2001.
Kline, Wendy. “Bodies of Evidence, Activists, Patients, and the FDA Regulation of Depo-Provera,” Journal of Women’s History, Vol. 22 No. 3, 2010, 64–87.
Leavitt, Judith Walzer. Brought to Bed. Childbearing in America, 1750-1950. New York 1986.
Leavitt, Walzer Judith. Make Room for Daddy. The Journey from Waiting Room to Birthing Room. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2009.
Markens, Susan. Surrogate Motherhood and the Politics of Reproduction. Berkley – Los Angeles – London: University of California Press, 2007.
Marks, Lara. Sexual Chemistry. A History of the Contraceptive Pill. Harvard, Massachusetts, 2001.
May, Elaine Tyler. Barren in the Promised Land. Childless Americans and the Pursuit of Happiness. Cambridge, Mass., 1995.
Nelson, Jennifer. Women of Color and Reproductive Rights Movement. New York and London 2003.
Reagan, Leslie. “From Hazard to Blessing to Tragedy: Representations of Miscarriage in Twentieth-Century America,” Feminist Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), pp. 356-378.
Reagan, Leslie. When Abortion Was a Crime. Women, Medicine and Law in the United States. Berkley – Los Angeles – London 1998.
Solinger, Rickie. Beggars and Choosers. How the Politics of Choice Shapes Adoption, Abortion, and Welfare in the United States. New York: Hill and Wang 2001
Solinger, Rickie. Pregnancy and Power. A Short History of Reproductive Politics in the United States. New York 2005.
Solinger, Rickie. Wake Up Little Susie. Single Pregnancy and Race before Roe vs. Wade. London 1992.
Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires. A History of Contraception in America. New York 2001.
Wolf, Jacqueline H. Deliver Me from Pain: Anesthesia and Birth in America. Baltimore, Maryland 2009.