Ourselves Unborn: A History of the Fetus in Modern America

During the past several decades, the fetus has been diversely represented in political debates, medical textbooks and journals, personal memoirs and autobiographies, museum exhibits and mass media, and civil and criminal law. Ourselves Unborn argues that the meanings people attribute to the
fetus are not based simply on biological fact or theological truth, but are in fact strongly influenced by competing definitions of personhood and identity, beliefs about knowledge and authority, and assumptions about gender roles and sexuality. In addition, these meanings can be shaped by dramatic
historical change: over the course of the twentieth century, medical and technological changes made fetal development more comprehensible, while political and social changes made the fetus a subject of public controversy. Moreover, since the late nineteenth century, questions about how fetal life
develops and should be valued have frequently intersected with debates about the authority of science and religion, and the relationship between the individual and society. In examining the contested history of fetal meanings, Sara Dubow brings a fresh perspective to these vital debates.


Author: Sara Dubow
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 01/01/2017
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780190610715

About the Author

Sara Dubow is Assistant Professor of History at Williams College.

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