Reproduction and gender at the crossroads

Human reproduction has become a field of study that not only cuts across but also reconnects themes that for a long time science has been taking apart: biological/technical, natural/artificial, natural/cultural, human/non-human, public/private.
The combination of technological, cultural and political developments have placed family politics and reproductive issues center stage in national politics – and made grounds for biopolitics. Biopolitical issues of reproduction comprises questions of gender, ethnicity, social class, sexuality  - and how these social categories should be understood and related to political aims of equal rights. International migration, same sex parenthood and an eventual " new generation of fathers" raises new questions when it comes to family politics and welfare arrangements, and challenge mainstream conceptions about gender orders, mother- and fatherhood, family planning, family formations and kinship. Furthermore different forms of gamete donation and surrogacy are issues of great contemporary concern - for individual lives, for policy makers and for research.
The main aim of the seminar is to raise pressing debates, and to create a meeting place where scholars from different disciplines, policy makers and practitioners mutually can explore each other's knowledge, inspire each other, and discuss current controversies and future challenges in the multidisciplinary field of gender, ethnicity and reproduction.

This is a Norwegian/Nordic seminar, where international renowned key notes are invited for inspiration. Due to our special invited international guests the seminar will be held in English. Still, if any of you prefer to present your work in Norwegian, a parallel Norwegian panel will be set up.

 

Confirmed keynote speakers:

Marcia Inhorn Department of Anthropology, University of Yale, USA

Charis Thompson Department of Women's Studies, University of Berkeley, USA

Organisers:

The seminar is organized and hosted by three collaborating partners:

• Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU
• "Reproductive relations -Production of gendered meanings in the field of reproduction". Research project funded by The Programme for Gender Research, Norwegian Research Council. 
• FOKK – Association for Women's Studies and Gender Research in Norway

Organising commitee:

Guro Korsnes Kristensen, Malin Noem Ravn and Kristin Spilker