Organizing for Justice: The Critical Constructivist Approach to Reproductive Justice
Location
CSU 255
Start Date
21-4-2014 3:15 PM
End Date
21-4-2014 4:15 PM
Student's Major
Gender and Women's Studies
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Laura Harrison
Mentor's Email Address
laura.harrison@mnsu.edu
Mentor's Department
Gender and Women's Studies
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Women’s reproductive capacities have always played an important role in society. This has given rise to women being the sole bearers for the continuation of life. As such, the reproductive ability of women has continued to be viewed with critical eyes. Historically, good motherhood has meant never to terminate pregnancy, since it holds the potential of life. Herein lays the issue of what Nancy Ehrenreich calls the Liberal Individualist approach to reproductive rights, which indicates that there should be a non-interventional role of government. This approach indicates that a woman is an individual, rational agent with a constitutional protected right to privacy. On the other hand, Ehrenreich notes that the Critical Constructivist approach takes into consideration that choices are not merely individual, but socially constructed. This project was conducted to familiarize individuals with the concept of reproductive justice. The Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP) website was selected for its organizational structure and mission towards contributing to reproductive justice. This website was further analyzed to inquire if it fits into the framework of either Liberal Individualist or Critical Constructivist approaches to reproductive rights/justice. Based on its holistic nature of addressing issues of reproductive justice, we found that the framework of Pro-Choice PEP fits the Critical Constructivist model. As a result, this project contributes to our existing knowledge of reproductive justice and offers explanations of the Critical Constructivist approach.
Organizing for Justice: The Critical Constructivist Approach to Reproductive Justice
CSU 255
Women’s reproductive capacities have always played an important role in society. This has given rise to women being the sole bearers for the continuation of life. As such, the reproductive ability of women has continued to be viewed with critical eyes. Historically, good motherhood has meant never to terminate pregnancy, since it holds the potential of life. Herein lays the issue of what Nancy Ehrenreich calls the Liberal Individualist approach to reproductive rights, which indicates that there should be a non-interventional role of government. This approach indicates that a woman is an individual, rational agent with a constitutional protected right to privacy. On the other hand, Ehrenreich notes that the Critical Constructivist approach takes into consideration that choices are not merely individual, but socially constructed. This project was conducted to familiarize individuals with the concept of reproductive justice. The Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP) website was selected for its organizational structure and mission towards contributing to reproductive justice. This website was further analyzed to inquire if it fits into the framework of either Liberal Individualist or Critical Constructivist approaches to reproductive rights/justice. Based on its holistic nature of addressing issues of reproductive justice, we found that the framework of Pro-Choice PEP fits the Critical Constructivist model. As a result, this project contributes to our existing knowledge of reproductive justice and offers explanations of the Critical Constructivist approach.
Recommended Citation
Ogunnowo, Omolayo; Elaine Lossing; KariAnn Uecker; and Natasha Theissen. "Organizing for Justice: The Critical Constructivist Approach to Reproductive Justice." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 21, 2014.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2014/oral_session_15/3
