Yuval-Davis, Nira. 1996. “Women and the Biological Reproduction of the Nation,”
Women’s Studies International Forum 19 (1-2): 17-24.
"The central importance of women's reproductive roles in ethnic and national discourses becomes apparent when one considers that, given the central role the myth (or reality) of "common origin" plays in the construction of most ethnic and national collectivities, one joins the collectivity usually by being born into it." p.17
In the context of Australia but could be related to a lot of places/religions: "there are implicit, if not explicit, hierarchies of desirability of "origin" and culture which underlie its nation-building processes, including immigration and prenatal policies" p.18
Nationalist policies of population control:
People as power - Continuous growth of population means continuous growth of the nation, and therefore the ideology of the political/religious party. How do they do this? Some nations encourage immigration, but often from desirable individuals. Some incentivise women to have more children, some ban abortion.
Eugenist discourse - Selective breeding - forcing some people to have children, whilst sterilising others. Those sterilised included 'undesirable' people - disabled, uneducated, minority
Malthusian discourse - reducing population growth in countries located in the global south because there is an increasing population and resources are not keeping up. These are taken either by the government themselves, or enforced via aid from global north governments.
"there has never been a case where the rate of population growth has gone down, where the rate of infant mortality has not gone down as well." p.21
"women's membership in their national and ethnic collectivities is of a double nature. On the one hand, women, like men, are members of the collectivity. On the other hand, there are always specific rules and regulations which relate to women as women." p.22
"very often it is women, especially older women, who are given the roles of the cultural reproducers of the nation and are empowered to exert control over other women who may be constructed as "deviants."" p.23
"Specifically in relation to women's reproductive rights, there has been a growing concern during the last few years among "women of colour" that the coop- don of such slogans by international agencies and the Right is part of a demographic war which, if not completely genocidal, is aimed at stunting the growth and power of Black and Third World people" p.23
"women are not just "individuals" but are also members of national, ethnic, and racial collectivities, as well as of a specific class, sexuality, and stage in the life cycle" p.23
"Women are not just individuals, nor are they just agents of their collectivities. "Reproductive Rights" campaigns should take account of the multiplexity and multidimensionality of identities within contemporary society, without losing sight of the differential power dimension of different collectivities and groupings within it." p.23
"The central importance of women's reproductive roles in ethnic and national discourses becomes apparent when one considers that, given the central role the myth (or reality) of "common origin" plays in the construction of most ethnic and national collectivities, one joins the collectivity usually by being born into it." p.17
In the context of Australia but could be related to a lot of places/religions: "there are implicit, if not explicit, hierarchies of desirability of "origin" and culture which underlie its nation-building processes, including immigration and prenatal policies" p.18
Nationalist policies of population control:
People as power - Continuous growth of population means continuous growth of the nation, and therefore the ideology of the political/religious party. How do they do this? Some nations encourage immigration, but often from desirable individuals. Some incentivise women to have more children, some ban abortion.
Eugenist discourse - Selective breeding - forcing some people to have children, whilst sterilising others. Those sterilised included 'undesirable' people - disabled, uneducated, minority
Malthusian discourse - reducing population growth in countries located in the global south because there is an increasing population and resources are not keeping up. These are taken either by the government themselves, or enforced via aid from global north governments.
"there has never been a case where the rate of population growth has gone down, where the rate of infant mortality has not gone down as well." p.21
"women's membership in their national and ethnic collectivities is of a double nature. On the one hand, women, like men, are members of the collectivity. On the other hand, there are always specific rules and regulations which relate to women as women." p.22
"very often it is women, especially older women, who are given the roles of the cultural reproducers of the nation and are empowered to exert control over other women who may be constructed as "deviants."" p.23
"Specifically in relation to women's reproductive rights, there has been a growing concern during the last few years among "women of colour" that the coop- don of such slogans by international agencies and the Right is part of a demographic war which, if not completely genocidal, is aimed at stunting the growth and power of Black and Third World people" p.23
"women are not just "individuals" but are also members of national, ethnic, and racial collectivities, as well as of a specific class, sexuality, and stage in the life cycle" p.23
"Women are not just individuals, nor are they just agents of their collectivities. "Reproductive Rights" campaigns should take account of the multiplexity and multidimensionality of identities within contemporary society, without losing sight of the differential power dimension of different collectivities and groupings within it." p.23
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