240007 SE Seminar Individual Specialisation I (2024W)

As a common experience, all of us have gone through birth and some of us have done so multiple times in our lives. Birth can be understood as a physiological, social, psychological, and cultural process, that in some cases requires (non-)human assistance and is transculturally and transhistorically embedded and situated in multiple sociotechnical processes, beliefs, and practices. Childbirth can therefore be described as a sociocultural as much as a physical happening. This provides a very fruitful ground for interdisciplinary research and practice.
The concept of Birth Justice was coined by black feminists in the United States as part of the Reproductive Justice framework, which combines the social justice movement and the sexual and reproductive rights movement. It moves our attention towards inequalities and injustices around pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum phase and calls for systemic change, and just, respectful, safe births for every birther in the absence of any form of discrimination and while working from an intersectional perspective.
In this seminar, we will go back to where we came from and look at the socio-eco-techno-political perspectives of childbirth and how it is accompanied by care, control, technologies, and violence in some cases. Childbirth opens up broad questions within feminist research on choice and agency and further questions that can be discussed in class: How can we talk about consent in the case of childbirth? Can there be birth justice for non-human birthers? What does queer birth justice look like? What does birth justice do? How can we include it in our research and analysis? How can there be birth justice when the needs of birthers are often contradictory?
Different theoretical strands and methodologies will accompany us while thinking about birth justice research. Material Semiotics, New Materialist understandings, Actor-Network Theory, Participatory research methodologies, and further discussions from the field.
This class will be used to think about reproduction as a feminist concern, discuss papers thoroughly, and establish an understanding of the named frameworks. We will think together and unpack how we, as researchers, can contribute to the struggles and activism in the field.
The course is designed interactively and some parts will be given in a workshop format, participants are invited and welcome to co-create the space. Please be aware that this course will engage with topics surrounding violence, racism, transphobia, sexual abuse, and sexism. If you have any concerns you would like to share before class regarding your mental health or restrictions send an email to the lecturer.