Critical Social Inquiry 0215 - From Choice to Justice

Reproductive rights continue to be contested and eroded in the U.S. and throughout the world. Most recently, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld laws curtailing access to contraception and abortion, and state legislatures continue to pass an unprecedented number of restrictive bills. There has been an escalation of anti-abortion rhetoric, threats and violence including the murders of three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado. We will examine these issues in historical perspective, looking at the various ways in which the attacks and the resistance has been framed. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach, exploring the ethical, political, philosophical and legal dimensions of issues. The abortion battle is only one part of the struggle for reproductive health, rights and justice. Using reproductive justice as our analytic frame, we examine the ways that gender, race, socio-economic circumstances, sexual identity and ethnicity shape a person's reproductive experiences. Specific topics of inquiry include: sterilization abuse and coercive contraception, welfare rights, population control, and the criminalization of pregnancy, abortion and popular culture, tactics and strategies of the anti-abortion, pro choice and reproductive justice movements.

Power, Community and Social Justice Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.