Birth Controlled: Selective Reproduction and Neoliberal Eugenics in South Africa and India

This book analyses the world of selective reproduction – interventions that influence reproductive outcomes and allow only some pregnancies to be borne to fruition – by a critical analysis of three modes of controlling birth, namely contraception, reproductive violence, and repro-genetic technologies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 408 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Manchester University Press

Birth controlled delves into the intricate world of selective reproduction, exploring the politics of who has the right to reproduce the future. Through a cross-cultural analysis of three modes of 'controlling birth: contraception, reproductive violence, and repro-genetic technologies, the book argues that as fertility rates decline worldwide, the desire to control fertility and fertile bodies persists. While new technologies such as those that assist conception or allow genetic selection may seem to oppose other violent forms of population control, this book demonstrates that they are part of the same continuum. All population control policies target and vilify women, particularly Black women, and coerce them into subjecting their bodies to state and medical surveillance.

Birth controlled challenges the notion that assisted reproductive technologies and repro-genetic technologies carry a distinct and stratified burden of blame and responsibility based on gender, race, class, and caste. To provide empirical and historical grounding for the analysis, the book includes contributions from two postcolonial nations, South Africa and India, examining the interactions between the history of colonialism and the economics of neoliberal markets and their influence on the technologies and politics of selective reproduction.

The book offers a critical, interdisciplinary, and cutting-edge dialogue around the interconnected issues that shape reproductive politics in an era often perceived as 'post-population control.' The contributions draw from a diverse range of disciplines, including gender studies, sociology, medical anthropology, politics, and science and technology studies, as well as theology, public health, and epidemiology. This interdisciplinary approach fosters a rich dialogue that crosses boundaries and sheds light on the complex dynamics of reproductive politics.

Birth controlled provides valuable insights into the ongoing struggle for reproductive autonomy and justice. It challenges the dominant narratives that perpetuate gender inequality, racial discrimination, and economic exploitation. By examining the intersection of technology, politics, and culture, the book offers a roadmap for building a more inclusive and equitable world where everyone has the right to control their own reproductive destiny.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526160546