Reproductive Theories and Feminine Divinity

The practice of expanding the medical domain to include previously non-medical issues, like pregnancy and birth, labeling them as conditions requiring medical intervention.

The idea that medical knowledge is kept secret by medical professionals to maintain their control and authority.

The theory that medical systems have gone beyond keeping society healthy and now exert social control.

A shift in focus during the 1970s, where feminist critics questioned the necessity of medicalizing pregnancy and birth, highlighting the potential for medical intervention to limit women's control over their bodies.

The idea that long-standing practices like midwifery are overshadowed by medical practices, often overlooking historical knowledge and techniques that were effective in the past.

The practice of controlling enslaved Black women's reproduction to maintain the slave economy.

J. Marion Simms, a pioneer in gynecology, conducted unethical experiments on enslaved women without anesthesia to develop surgical techniques.

After emancipation, African-American communities faced systemic neglect in reproductive healthcare, resulting in disparities in access and quality of care.

Colonial policies disrupted traditional birthing practices of Indigenous women in Canada, leading to a disconnect between cultural and modern healthcare approaches.

Maori women in New Zealand are actively reclaiming their traditional knowledge and practices related to pregnancy and childbirth.

The rise of modern medicine has reshaped the landscape of pregnancy and childbirth, establishing itself as the primary authority.

The influence of economic factors on healthcare access creates disparities in pregnancy and childbirth outcomes, particularly between developed and developing nations.

Developed nations often have greater access to safe pregnancies and deliveries, with lower maternal mortality rates compared to developing nations.

A movement spearheaded by figures like Margaret Sanger and Marie Stopes, advocating for women's control over reproduction as a crucial step towards their liberation, alongside voting rights.

A school of thought focused on improving society through selective breeding and genetic control, aiming to limit certain populations deemed 'undesirable'.

This term, coined by Alfred Ploetz, refers to the idea that genetic traits can be used to enhance the strength of a nation or racial group, often used to justify discriminatory practices.

The Nazi regime's implementation of eugenics on a mass scale, using genetic registries and blood banks to enforce racial purity, ultimately leading to the Holocaust.

This concept focuses on the idea that widespread use of contraception can empower the working class by mitigating poverty linked to large family sizes.

A belief that state-controlled contraception and forced sterilization laws pose a threat to the working class, as they can be seen as a way to control and suppress the population.

This group, often associated with the Canadian Communist Party, argued that the birth control movement was a bourgeois distraction from the true struggle of class conflict.

The movement's leaders, often upper-middle-class women, sought to improve the lives of impoverished communities by promoting access to contraception.

The criminalization of abortion began in the 19th century as a way to protect the natural order of reproduction.

Countries like the UK, France, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the US criminalized abortion during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The widespread availability of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s challenged traditional views on reproduction, leading to the lifting of contraception bans in many developed countries.

While some countries decriminalized abortion, many still placed restrictions, often heavily influenced by religious views. These restrictions included mandatory counseling and hospital panels, which persisted in some regions.

In the 1960s, the women's movement linked reproductive autonomy to women's participation in society, arguing that control over reproduction was essential for full participation in the workforce.

In the early 20th century, due to legal restrictions, women resorted to unsafe methods for abortion, leading to injuries, deaths, and underreporting of maternal mortality.

The shift from private to public regulation of reproductive issues occurred throughout the 20th century, with religious authorities initially having a dominant role, followed by physicians gaining moral authority over life and reproductive decisions.

Abortion restrictions persisted in regions such as Ireland, Northern Ireland, and parts of Latin America until the early 2020s, often with strict prohibitions, even in cases of life-threatening pregnancies.

Post-World War II policies and programs aimed at boosting population growth, often through incentives and social pressure. This aimed to rebuild national strength and economic prosperity after the war.

Criticisms arose regarding the coercion and forced sterilization tied to some population control measures. Concerns focused on ethical implications and potential abuses of power.

Modern population control policies tend to emphasize individual choice, access to reproductive healthcare, and family planning resources.

Developing nations often embrace modernization policies to improve living standards. These policies can sometimes influence reproductive practices, with mixed results.

Policies intended to encourage population growth, often using incentives like financial aid or social recognition.

Eugenics aims to improve the genetic makeup of a population, often through discriminatory practices, like forced sterilization, to control undesirable traits.

Reproductive justice focuses on the right to have children, not have children, and parent the children they do have, free from coercion or discrimination.

DNA testing, initially used for paternity, is now widely accessible. However, it raises ethical concerns about its use in child support, custody cases, and immigration.

The practice of controlling human behavior through informal expectations like family traditions, social norms, and formal rules like laws, and the potential for consequences like shame, legal sanctions, or force.

The right of individuals to make choices about their own reproductive health, including access to contraception, abortion, and family planning services.

The concept of determining who is considered a legitimate parent and child within a society.

The struggle to control reproductive decisions, both on an individual and population level.

The historical movement led primarily by white, middle-class women in the 1960s, focused on gaining access to safe and effective contraception and abortion.

The challenges faced by African-American women seeking access to social equity and resources to raise their families.

Ancient strategies used to control reproduction, including methods like using honey, leaves, or animal skins, withdrawal, and crocodile dung.

A type of contraceptive device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

The development of the birth control pill, enabled by scientific advancements in understanding human hormones and the activism of Margaret Sanger and Catherine McCormick.

A pioneer in the birth control movement, who aimed to break the association between contraceptives and pornography, advocating for access to safe and effective birth control

A major organization founded by Margaret Sanger and Catherine McCormick, which provides access to contraceptives, family planning information, and abortion services.

The social and cultural shift in the 1960s, marked by changes in sexual attitudes, behaviors, and social norms, influenced by the increasing availability of contraception, particularly the Pill.

The traditional view on sexual activity and reproduction, primarily influenced by Christian, Judaic, and Muslim religious beliefs, that emphasizes the nuclear heterosexual family as the ideal setting.

The promotion of contraception as a means of family planning, often framed as a way to improve the health and well-being of families.