CALL FOR PAPERS: REPRODUCTION, SEX, AND POWER
Journal of Women’s History Special Issue Edited by Leslie J. ReaganHistory, Medicine, Gender and Women’s Studies, LawUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaignUSAReproduction, sexuality, and bodies have been key sites for state andreligious intervention and control, for defining gender, class, race,and sexual identity and for establishing hierarchies andinequalities. They have also been of central significance toindividuals and to organized feminist movements. Although today somemay think of “sex” and “reproduction” as unrelated topics and fieldsof research, historically they have been closely intertwined. Thisissue seeks to spotlight the centrality of reproduction, sex, andpower to women’s history and to demonstrate the ways in which powerhas been made, played, and fought over and through reproduction andsex. Indeed, histories of nations and empire, foreign policy andlaw, religion and popular culture are not free of these seeminglyprivate experiences. Precisely how power has worked throughreproduction and sex varies in time and place; this special issuewill illuminate the points of similarity, divergence, andconvergence, the moments when these areas of personal experiencebecome politically powerful and sites of collective action. Therange of possible topics is broadly defined, including, for instance,obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery, technologies, practitioners,birth control, adoption, sexual practices, sexual identity andparenting, health and sex education.Research essays from all time periods, geographical regions, Continue Reading →