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Matters of Choice
Iris Lopez
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Description for Matters of Choice
paperback. Presents a comprehensive analysis of the dichotomous views that have portrayed sterilization either as part of a coercive program of population control or as a means of voluntary, even liberating, fertility control by individual women. Num Pages: 208 pages, diagrams, figures. BIC Classification: 1KJP; JFSJ1; JHMC. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 224 x 150 x 20. Weight in Grams: 318.
Sterilization remains one of the most popular forms of fertility control in the world, but it has received little acknowledgment for decreasing birthrates on account of its dubious use as a means of population control, especially in developing countries. In Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a comprehensive analysis of the dichotomous views that have portrayed sterilization either as part of a coercive program of population control or as a means of voluntary, even liberating, fertility control by individual women. Drawing upon her twenty-five years of research on sterilized Puerto Rican women from five different families in Brooklyn, Lopez untangles ... Read morethe interplay between how women make fertility decisions and their social, economic, cultural, and historical constraints. Weaving together the voices of these women, she covers the history of sterilization and eugenics, societal pressures to have fewer children, a lack of adequate health care, patterns of gender inequality, and misinformation provided by doctors and family members.
Lopez makes a stirring case for a model of reproductive freedom, taking readers beyond victim/agent debates to consider a broader definition of reproductive rights within a feminist anthropological context.
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Product Details
Publisher
Rutgers University Press United States
Place of Publication
New Brunswick NJ, United States
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
About Iris Lopez
Iris Lopez is the director of the Latin American and Caribbean studies program and an associate professor in the department of sociology at the City College of New York. She is coauthor of Telling to Live: Latina Feminist Testimonios.
Reviews for Matters of Choice
In this unique and compelling book, Iris Lopez not only encourages a rethinking of reproductive models but features women's own voices and life experiences. I recommend Matters of Choice to anyone interested in learning more about how the national, class and racist legacies of reproductive policies influence the lives of women today.
Dr. Alice Col=n Warren
Researcher, Social ... Read moreScience Research Center, University of Puerto Rico
"In Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a nuanced analysis of the multiple forces that lead to high sterilization rates of Puerto Rican women. Using their voices, Lopez illuminates women's reproductive agency, pushing us to think more deeply about the meaning of la operación.
Patricia Zavella
professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California, Santa
"A heart-wrenching look at US domination over working-class Puerto Rican women that has been largely unexplored until now."
Juan Flores
author of The Diaspora Strikes Back
"Matters of Choice is that rare work of scholarship whose ideas and rich findings are central to the literatures on social movements and gender studies. Lopez explodes the usual binary of victim vs. free agent and helps us to imagine what real reproductive justice might look like"
Rosalind Petchesky
Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Hunter College
"Lopez presents an integrated model that moves beyond the binary of choice and constraint to locate the experiences of Puerto Rican women in a continuum....The integrated model provides an opportunity to better understand how personal, cultural, social, and historical factors operate and inform reproductive decisions. Highly recommended."
Choice
"Unlike previous work on women's reproductive control, Lopez offers a more nuanced and complex understanding as to why [sterilization] has been so popular among Puetro Riquenas. It is written in an engaging, clear, and accessible manner...essential reading for those interested in the social construction of the body, reproduction, and Latina women's experiences."
Feminist Formations (Formerly NWSA Journal)
"Lopez's work fills a tremendous void in the social science literature about Puerto Rican women's lives and fertility. One of the more impressive aspects of this work is the depth of the ethnographic interviews: each woman's voice rings loud and clear. Matters of Choice should be standard reading for students of the Puerto Rican and Latina condition, and not just female students but all students."
Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies
In this unique and compelling book, Iris Lopez not only encourages a rethinking of reproductive models but features women's own voices and life experiences. I recommend Matters of Choice to anyone interested in learning more about how the national, class and racist legacies of reproductive policies influence the lives of women today.
Dr. Alice Col=n Warren
Researcher, Social Science Research Center, University of Puerto Rico
"In Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a nuanced analysis of the multiple forces that lead to high sterilization rates of Puerto Rican women. Using their voices, Lopez illuminates women's reproductive agency, pushing us to think more deeply about the meaning of la operación.
Patricia Zavella
professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California, Santa
"A heart-wrenching look at US domination over working-class Puerto Rican women that has been largely unexplored until now."
Juan Flores
author of The Diaspora Strikes Back
"Matters of Choice is that rare work of scholarship whose ideas and rich findings are central to the literatures on social movements and gender studies. Lopez explodes the usual binary of victim vs. free agent and helps us to imagine what real reproductive justice might look like"
Rosalind Petchesky
Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Hunter College
"Lopez presents an integrated model that moves beyond the binary of choice and constraint to locate the experiences of Puerto Rican women in a continuum....The integrated model provides an opportunity to better understand how personal, cultural, social, and historical factors operate and inform reproductive decisions. Highly recommended."
Choice
"Unlike previous work on women's reproductive control, Lopez offers a more nuanced and complex understanding as to why [sterilization] has been so popular among Puetro Riquenas. It is written in an engaging, clear, and accessible manner...essential reading for those interested in the social construction of the body, reproduction, and Latina women's experiences."
Feminist Formations (Formerly NWSA Journal)
"Lopez's work fills a tremendous void in the social science literature about Puerto Rican women's lives and fertility. One of the more impressive aspects of this work is the depth of the ethnographic interviews: each woman's voice rings loud and clear. Matters of Choice should be standard reading for students of the Puerto Rican and Latina condition, and not just female students but all students."
Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies
Show Less
