Babies for Sale?: Transnational Surrogacy, Human Rights and the Politics of Reproduction

Description

Transnational surrogacy parenthood is on the rise. For example, in the United States, the practice has been legalized in several states, while in India state sponsored “medical tourism” has established nearly three thousand surrogacy clinics. Globalization, new reproductive technologies, and rising infertility rates are combining to produce a quiet revolution in social ethics and the nature of parenting. Whereas much of the current scholarship has confined itself to the legal implications of this phenomenon and has largely focused on only a few countries, this groundbreaking anthology offers a much wider perspective. Babies for Sale features contributions by activists and scholars from a range of countries and disciplines in order to offer the first genuinely international study of transnational surrogacy. Rooted in feminist perspectives, many of the essays give voice to those most affected by the global surrogacy chain, namely the surrogate mothers, donors, prospective parents, and the children themselves. Through case studies ranging from Israel to Mexico, the book outlines the forces that are driving the growth of transnational surrogacy, as well as its implications for feminism, human rights, motherhood, and masculinity. Contributors include: Wendy Chavkin, Professor of Public Health and Obstetrics, University of Columbia Diane Beeson, Professor Emerita of Sociology, California State University and Associate Director, Alliance for Human Biotechnology Marsha Tyson Darling, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of the Centre for African, Black and Caribbean Studies, Adelphi University Ayesha Chatterjee, Programme Manager, Our Bodies Ourselves Global Initiative Sally Whelan, Co-founder of Our Bodies Ourselves Emma Maniere, Programme Assistant, Gynuity Health Projects, NYC Laura Swerdlow, planned parenthood advocate, Oregon France Winddance Twine, Professor of Sociology and Black Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara