CHID 250 C: Special Topics: Introduction to the History of Ideas

QUEERING THE RACE TO REPRODUCTION THIS COURSE AIMS TO QUESTION AND QUEER REPRODUCTION, TYPICALLY THOUGHT OF AS A HETEROSEXUAL, BIOGENETIC, AND NATURAL PROCESS. WE WILL LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH REPRODUCTION IS TAKEN UP THROUGH VARIOUS QUEER FAMILY- BUILDING STRATEGIES. THESE COULD INCLUDE UTILIZING SPERM/EGG DONORS, SURROGACY, AND ADOPTION. PARTICULARLY, WE WILL BE EXAMINING HOW QUESTIONS OF GENDER, RACE AND CLASS ARE TAKEN UP IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF STRATEGIES. THE RACE AND CLASS DISPARITIES OFTEN SEEN IN WHO CAN AFFORD TO TAKE UP THESE FAMILY-BUILDING STRATEGIES AS WELL AS WHO IS PROVIDING THE LABOR (E.G. SURROGATES HIRED IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH) COMPLICATE THE QUEERING OF THESE STRATEGIES. FURTHERMORE, WE WILL EXPLORE THE IMPLICATIONS OF FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES SPECTACULARIZED IN THE POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS, SUCH AS MERGING TWO EGGS TO FORM A BLASTOCYST AND UTERINE TRANSPLANTS. HOW ARE WE IMAGINING QUEER REPRODUCTIVE FUTURES?