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Feminist lens on adoption

Could I call myself a feminist and social justice advocate and still adopt? I realized that for me, the answer was no.
I am part of a growing number of adult adoptees who view adoption as a feminist issue, part of a continuum of reproductive rights. This perspective extends to the right to raise one’s child the same importance as the right to choose whether or not to bear one.

In her book “Beggars and Choosers: How the Politics of Choice Shapes Adoption, Abortion, and Welfare in the United States,” feminist historian Rickie Solinger examines adoption through this lens of reproductive rights. She states, “I believe it is crucial to consider the degree to which one woman’s possession of reproductive choice may actually depend on or deepen another woman’s reproductive vulnerability.” In other words, how might an individual woman’s right to choose adoption actually exploit another woman’s lack of rights?

http://www.womenspress.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=3238

Question for Week 7

Debora Spar asks three questions in her chapter on surrogacy: Are surrogate mothers selling their children? Are they selling, or at least renting, their bodies? And if they are, should anyone be trying to stop them? Drawing from Spar, Kuczynski, and Saul, please write a response paper that addresses these questions.

Also, Andrew Solomon’s surrogacy situation was different, as you’ll read in his chapter from Far From the Tree. You don’t need to write about this, but please think about the differences and we’ll ask him about this in class.