

The project revolves around the concept of reproductive justice, as it was introduced by Black feminists in the US in the 1990s and ‘travels’ transnationally ever since. In the context of a global upsurge in counter-hegemonic feminism, far more is associated with the concept than demands for individual bodily self-determination. Rather, questions about the appreciation and devaluation of certain groups of pregnant women, women giving birth and children come into focus – it’s about stigmatization, dehumanization, inclusion and exclusion in the context of (not) having children.
In exchange with the Bern research team, guest researcher Susanne Schultz will work primarily on two major issues: On the one hand, she will deal conceptually with how social conflicts surrounding abortion, contraception, pregnancy, birth and parenthood can be understood as multiscalar. To what extent do local, regional, national and transnational actors and power relations play a role? How are these levels intertwined and which state-theoretical approaches are analytically helpful here? On the other hand, it will be examined how the intersectional concept critical of power relations “travels”, i.e. how it is appropriated, reinterpreted, expanded or narrowed and diluted in different social movements and transnational research contexts. The collaborative work takes place within the framework of the Lectures Series and a Journal Reading Club as well as in spontaneous formats of exchange between different researchers and activists. With a focus on feminisms in Abya Yala (Latin America) and Europe, Susanne Schultz will also work with the Bern team on an empirical research program on these questions.