Abstract

FONSECA, Claudia  and  SCALCO, Lucia. Interdicted maternity: Reproductive (in)justice in circumstances of radical inequality. Rev. Mus. Antropol. [online]. 2023, vol.16, n.2, pp.317-326.  Epub Aug 31, 2023. ISSN 1852-060X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v16.n2.38900.

In this article, we examine the separation of newborns from their poor mothers shortly after delivery to reflect on the repercussions of radical socioeconomic inequality on family dynamics in Brazil. Inspired by the notions of “reproductive justice” and “stratified reproduction”, we focus on the political dimension of that reproductive routine that would otherwise go unnoticed, erased by the naturalizing representations of gender and family. By mapping the set of moralities that end up disavowing motherhood for certain women (or men), we seek to highlight the complexity of intersectional dynamics of class, race, generation, and gender in practices of injustice and discrimination. We observe the convergence of certain global trends, professional knowledge, and national legislative changes to raise the question: instead of guaranteeing the rights of the most vulnerable, are the current government policies moving in a direction that maintains and deepens the sub-citizenship of families that live in great poverty?

Keywords : Compulsory separation; Stratified reproduction; Reproductive justice; Legal trafficking; Adoption.

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