Project Details
Projekt
Varieties of reproduction regimes: institutions, norms and social inequality (REPROREG)
Applicant
Dr. Hannah Zagel
Subject Area
Empirical Social Research
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 461709920
State intervention in whether, when and how people have children has wide-reaching implications for the emergence and persistence of social inequalities. Reproductive processes are central to human life courses and closely intertwined with people’s resources. And although commonly considered a private matter, reproductive processes are the subject of various forms of state regulation. Becoming pregnant or not depends on knowledge attained in sex education and on reproductive health services. But unequal access to social and material resources creates stratified reproduction by differentially shaping the experiences of reproductive tasks.States define the conditions of access to reproductive services and support. For example, possibilities in medically assisted reproduction have rapidly expanded for people with a wish to have children, but eligibility and financing varies strongly. Further, the absence of one reproduction policy (e.g. contraception) can create demand for another (e.g. abortion). Indeed, policy packages rather than single measures shape patterns of stratified reproduction. Policy makers in this area negotiate through heated terrain. How to regulate reproduction touches on central value conflicts of our times. New conservative movements and populist parties challenge previously achieved liberties in sexuality and family. Social change unleashed conflicts over what is possible, for example with medically induced conception, and what is normalized, as reflected in disputes over sex education curricula in public schools. But policymakers are also able to set the tone. Introducing liberal policies towards sexuality, gender and family can lead to more tolerant attitudes, which feed-back into the policy process. There are two striking research desiderata. First, the lack of systematic comparative description of ‘reproductive regimes’ and their stratifying effects. Second, the dearth of research on typical cleavages in attitudes towards sexuality and family across institutional settings. The present project addresses these issues by investigating: What are the institutional configurations of regulating reproduction in high-income countries? How do they relate to patterns of stratified reproduction? And how do they shape individual attitudes towards gender, family and sexuality? With a multi-country comparison of over 25 European countries, the US, Canada and Australia, the project covers a broad range of contexts. The empirical approach includes building a unique international database with indicators of reproduction policies over time. A range of methodological approaches for mapping institutions and their effects will be used, including multilevel models with impact functions for estimating effects of successively implemented policy novelties with different spacing and speed of reforms. A thorough investigation of regulations and attitudinal and social outcomes will help to evaluate potentials and risks for inclusive societies.
DFG Programme
Independent Junior Research Groups
International Connection
Canada, United Kingdom, USA
