Random families : genetic strangers, sperm donor siblings, and the creation of new kin
by Rosanna Hertz; Margaret K. Nelson
Language: English
New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2019].
296 p. : il. ; 24 cm.
ISBN: 9780190888275 ; 019088827X
Summary: The ready availability of donated sperm and eggs has made possible an entirely new form of family. Children of the same donor and their families, with the help of the internet, can now locate each other and make contact. Sometimes this network of families forms meaningful connections that blossom into longstanding groups and close friendships. This book is about unprecedented families that have grown up at the intersection of new reproductive technologies, social media and the human desire for belonging. Random Families asks: Do shared genes make you a family? What do couples do when they discover that their children share half their DNA with a dozen or more other offspring from the same sperm donor? What do kids find in common with their donor siblings? What becomes of these chance networks once parents and donor siblings find one another? Based on over 350 interviews with children (ages 10-28) and their parents from all over the U.S., Random Families chronicles the chain of choices that couples and single mothers make from what donor to use to how to participate (or not) in donor sibling networks. Children reveal their understanding of a donor, the donor's spot on the family tree and the meaning of their donor siblings. Through rich first-person accounts of network membership, the book illustrates how these extraordinary relationships -- woven from bits of online information and shared genetic ties -- are transformed into new possibilities for kinship.
Available: https://www.amazon.com/Random-Families-Strangers-Siblings-Creation/dp/019088827X/
Subjects:
- Kinship
- Families
- Human reproductive technology -- Social aspects -- United States
- Children of sperm donors -- United States
Transnationalising reproduction : third party conception in a globalised world
by Róisín Ryan-Flood; Jenny Gunnarsson Payne;
Language: English
Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019.
ix, 201 p. ; 25 cm.
ISBN: 9781138840713 ; 1138840718
Summary: Third-party conception is a growing phenomenon and provokes a burgeoning range of ethical, legal and social questions. What are the rights of donors, recipients and donor-conceived children? How are these reproductive technologies regulated? How is kinship understood within these new family forms? Written by specialists from three different continents, Transnationalising Reproduction examines a broad range of issues concerning kinship and identity, citizenship and regulation, and global markets of reproductive labour; including gamete donation and gestational surrogacy. Indeed, this book seeks to highlight how reproductive technologies not only makes possible new forms of kinship and family formations but also how these give rise to new, ethical, political and legal dilemmas about parenthood as well as new modes of discrimination and a re-distribution of medical risks. It also thoroughly investigates the ways in which commodification of reproductive tissue and labour affects the practices, representations and gendered self-understandings of gamete donors, fertility patients and intended parents in different parts of the world. With a broad geographical scope, Transnationalising Reproduction offers new empirical and theoretical perspectives on third-party conception and demonstrates the need for more transnational approaches to third-party reproduction. This volume will appeal to postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers interested in fields such as Gender Studies, Health Care Sciences, Reproductive Technology, and Medical Sociology.
Available: https://www.amazon.com/Transnationalising-Reproduction-Conception-Globalised-Routledge/dp/1138840718/
Subjects:
- Human reproductive technology -- Social aspects
- Surrogate motherhood
- Kinship
Technologies of procreation : kinship in the age of assisted conception
by Jeanette Edwards
Language: English
New York : Routledge, 1999.
[xiv], 236 pages ; 23 cm.
ISBN: 0415170559 ; 9780415170550
Summary: Technologies of Procreation brings a fresh approach to the analysis of the social and cultural implications of assisted conception technologies. It explores how these techniques create the potential for a redefinition of relationships, because it is now possible to create life on behalf of another person. This second edition presents significant new material that enhances the original argument. By drawing on ethnographic studies, household interviews, and debates in government and among clinicians, the authors offer an insightful examination of the transformations of parenthood, procreation and kinship in the context of new reproductive technologies. Successfully bridging the gap between medical technology and cultural values, this book is a welcome addition to the growing field of medical anthropology.
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Technologies-Procreation-Kinship-Assisted-Conception/dp/0415170567
