'AREN'T MEN ALSO INVOLVED IN CHILDBEARING?': RENDERING THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE BODY VISIBLE TO RESIST GENDER INEQUALITY

Extensive work has been conducted on constructions of the female body as risky, particularly in relation to reproduction (Martin, 1987; Rich, 1976; Ussher, 2006). In contrast, the male reproductive body generally remains invisible (Oudshoorn, 2004). The analysis presented in this paper explores deba...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGay and lesbian issues and psychology review Vol. 8; no. 2; p. 98
Main Authors Hastie, Brianne, Cosh, Suzanne
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Melbourne The Australian Psychological Society Limited 01.08.2012
Subjects
Equality
Health insurance
Inequality
Masculinity
Mens health
Pregnancy
Society
Womens health
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Summary:Extensive work has been conducted on constructions of the female body as risky, particularly in relation to reproduction (Martin, 1987; Rich, 1976; Ussher, 2006). In contrast, the male reproductive body generally remains invisible (Oudshoorn, 2004). The analysis presented in this paper explores debate in 285 online responses to an article about gender-based differential pricing of health insurance. One of the discursive strategies drawn upon to defend this differential pricing is through familiar constructions of women's bodies as at risk' due to reproductive potential. However, this justification for inequality is resisted within the corpus through explicitly rendering the male body as similarly 'at risk' of reproduction. By examining how both women's and men's reproductive bodies are made visible, this paper explores discursive practices around how gender inequality is (re)produced and resisted. In particular, we can see how rendering the male reproductive body visible works in this context to resist practices that disadvantage women relative to men, and expand the responsibility for reproduction beyond women and individual, to society as a whole. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:1833-4512
1833-4512