"HIST 100C Birth Control and Reproductive Justice Espinosa Tavares Fall" by Martha L. Espinosa Tavares
 

Document Type

Syllabus

Publication Date

Fall 9-1-2024

Course Description

In this course, we will explore the global history of birth control and the rise of the notion of reproductive justice. From Colonial Mexico to Postwar Japan, we will learn how doctors, governments, religious groups, left and right-wing politicians, feminists, intellectuals, and scientists had—and still have—something to say about who should have children, who should not, and what means to prevent pregnancies are acceptable. We will discuss the racial and economic imaginaries behind population control policies and how they have impacted women’s reproductive lives. We will scrutinize why scientists and policymakers have deemed some people “unfit” for reproduction while encouraging high fertility rates among other groups at specific historical conjunctures. We will address how the appeal to control fertility had techno-material results, such as the development of new contraceptive technologies like the pill or the IUD in the second half of the 20th century, bringing new urgency to the discussions on women's health and bodily autonomy. At the end of this course, you will acquire a refined ability to analyze the complex historical interplay of political, medical, social, religious, and ethical factors associated with the contentious topics of reproduction, contraception, and abortion.

Student Outcomes

Students will be able to: -Evaluate historical arguments, historiographical debates and develop and frame historical arguments in their own work. -Communicate complex historical analysis in written form with appropriate scholarly attribution and communicate effectively in class discussions and presentations. -Understand the past with respect to diversities of culture, geography and chronology.

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