Representations of reproductive citizenship and vulnerability in media reports of offshore surrogacy

dc.contributor.authorRiggs, D.
dc.contributor.authorDue, C.
dc.date.issued2013
dc.description.abstractIn his elaboration of the concept of ‘reproductive citizenship’, Turner (Turner B.S., 2001. The erosion of citizenship. The British journal of sociology, 52 (2), 189–209) suggested something of a homogeneous accumulation of cultural capital to those who make a reproductive contribution to contemporary western societies. The present article takes up this suggestion and proposes that whilst reproduction is indeed a hallmark of contemporary citizenship, the cultural capital arising from this is still differentiated by mode of reproduction, with reproductive heterosex remaining the norm against which other modes are compared. This norm, it is suggested, produces what is termed here ‘reproductive vulnerability’, namely vulnerability arising from being located outside of the norm. Through an analysis of media representations of Australian people who have undertaken offshore surrogacy arrangements in India, this article demonstrates how reproductive vulnerability is highlighted only to be dismissed through recourse to the construction of those who undertake reproductive travel as agentic citizens. The article concludes by considering what it would take for an ethics of reproductive travel to exist; one in which multiple, incommensurable vulnerabilities are taken into account, and the representation of which encourages, rather than inhibits, careful thought about the reproductive desires of all people.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityDamien W. Riggs and Clemence Due
dc.identifier.citationCitizenship Studies, 2013; 17(8):956-969
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/13621025.2013.851145
dc.identifier.issn1362-1025
dc.identifier.issn1469-3593
dc.identifier.orcidRiggs, D. [0000-0003-0961-9099]
dc.identifier.orcidDue, C. [0000-0001-6485-6076]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/82210
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherRoutledge
dc.rights© 2013 Taylor & Francis
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2013.851145
dc.subjectsurrogacy
dc.subjectreproductive travel
dc.subjectvulnerability
dc.subjectIndia
dc.subjectmedia representations
dc.subjectreproductive citizenship
dc.titleRepresentations of reproductive citizenship and vulnerability in media reports of offshore surrogacy
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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