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This monograph explores the full context of sex-selective abortion (SSA) in India by examining the historical forces, political movements, government policies, and gender regimes that shape this reproductive practice. Using qualitative research methods within a feminist methodology, including in-depth interviews with service providers and professionals in New Delhi and a content analysis of Indian newspapers, the study engages the following areas of analysis: the social structures and determinants of SSA in India, the potential for women's agency in SSA, and the representations of SSA and SSA-seeking women in the Indian media. This research expands the discourse and analysis of SSA by facilitating a nuanced and multilayered exploration of a profoundly contextual, personal, and gendered reproductive issue by grounding data and interpretation in the lived experiences of research participants with systems-wide knowledge of SSA. Further, the feminist theory-informed analysis moves awayfrom normative victimhood frameworks. Lastly, the book contributes to the understudied area of media discourse analysis on the intersections of gender and SSA in national news coverage.
This book will be relevant for students, scholars, and teachers across the humanities and social sciences interested in reproductive rights, justice, and feminist research methods. It will also be a critical resource for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocates.
List of contents
1. Introduction: Sex-Selective Abortion at a Glance.- 2. Abortion and Sex-Selective Abortion in India: History, Law, and Policy.- 3. A Feminist Sociological Understanding of the Causes of Sex-Selective Abortion: Perspectives from the Field.- 4. Rethinking Women's Agency in Sex-Selective Abortion.- 5. A Content Analysis of the Portrayal of Sex-Selective Abortion and Women in Indian Newspapers.- 6. Conclusion: Feminist Framings, Dilemmas in Fieldwork, and Future Considerations.
