The MEDRA research group at the University of Oslo invites to a workshop focused on the interplay between medical knowledge, legal systems and personal knowledge, with a particular focus on reproductive health and rights and how this translates to political discourse and rights claims.
This workshop will bring together scholars interested in exploring the many ways in which ‘bodies of knowledge’ are constructed, mediated and interpreted in the field of reproduction. Here, body is understood broadly to include physical (specifically reproductive) bodies and corpora of discourses and narratives that make up the field of reproduction, in a legal, medical and political sense.
We will address questions such as what are the limits of scientific knowledge and legal frameworks when it comes to reproductive rights? What are legitimate concerns when science and law restrict reproductive decision-making on behalf of wider, societal needs?
These questions will be addressed from diverse disciplinary perspectives, and we invite researchers from a wide range of disciplines within medicine, social science, humanities and law who are interested in participating in the workshop to get in touch with project leader May-Len Skilbrei.
Topics
We particularly welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- In what ways do personal narratives shape broader social, medical, legal and political understandings of reproductive health?
- How do established and emerging reproductive technologies challenge or reinforce social norms and power structures, and our understanding of personhood and human rights?
- How are recent developments in local, national, regional, and global politics shaping both policy and practice in the domain of reproductive health?
- How do intersecting factors such as race, gender, class, religion, ability, and sexuality influence the construction, mediation, dissemination, and acceptance of reproductive knowledge?
- What historical and cultural narratives about reproduction continue to shape contemporary debates, politics and practices?
- How do healthcare systems, activists, policymakers, and other stakeholders negotiate competing claims to authority and expertise in the domain of reproductive health?
- In what ways do digital platforms and social media reshape how we produce, share, and interpret reproductive knowledge?
We encourage scholars from diverse fields—medicine, social sciences, humanities, and law—to join us in this essential dialogue on reproductive rights and knowledge.
Programme
Programme to follow
Practical information
If you wish to participate in the workshop, please contact May-Len Skilbrei.
Funding
The workshop is funded by UiO:Democracy.