This area focuses on reproductive justice issues as they appear in popular culture (film, television, social media, music, literature, etc.). Reproductive justice is a term that goes beyond the term reproductive rights, something that typically focuses on contraception and abortion.   According to the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, “it’s ‘the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities” (Abrams). Reproductive justice is more expansive and intersectional and explicitly examines the systemic obstacles that make it hard for some people to control their own bodily autonomy and get access to basic reproductive health (contraception, sex education, STI prevention, alternative birth options, prenatal pregnancy care, among others). 

Papers examining any aspect of global reproductive justice in popular culture will be considered. Paper topics might look like some of the titles below:

Happily Ever After? Adoption on U.S. Television
Medication abortion: The Continuing Lies in SVU
After Roe v. Wade–Abortion Plotlines
Modern Horror Films and Forced Pregnancy
Crazy Childless Cat Ladies–Television Reinforces Stereotypes
Abortion narratives in European television
The Challenges of Adoption on Trying
Potential for Medically Accurate Sex Education in Everything Now
How Foster Care is misrepresented on television
Demonizing Single Mothers on Film

Submission requirements: 

Interested individuals are asked to submit an abstract of no more than 250 words (including presentation title) and complete contact information through the PCA website. Individuals must be current, paid members to submit to the conference.

Please include your full name, affiliation, status (graduate student, educator, independent scholar), mailing address, email address, and telephone number.

 Contact:  Questions may be addressed to area chair, Brenda Boudreau, McKendree University:  bboudreau6971@gmail.com