SP 3 Ethnography of Human Reproduction and Single Case Studies in Threshold Areas

Sub-project 3 seeks to find answers to large questions mainly through qualitative, empirical studies of particular cases concerning the remaking of human reproduction:

• Can exploring human reproduction at current normative and technological boundaries help unravel the effects of reproductive and genome-editing technologies on what it means to be human?
• What perspectives on being human, society, the planet, and the world as a whole determine decisions to have or not have children?

This sub-project examines how the human is coproduced by technology, biology, and practices of meaning making and its changes over time. It aims to provide insight into the diversity of perspectives, actions, and interactions of the people developing, implementing, and using (or refusing) reproductive technologies and the histories of their emergence. It draws on a combination of approaches and methodologies from social anthropology, the study of religion, sociology, and clinical ethics. It will also work closely with the citizen-science group by inviting participants to be part of the counselling group.

The second phase will trace the global entanglements and intersectional politics of (non)reproduction. It examines the various ways in which different actors make meaning of the possibilities and limitations of human reproduction, including, for example, donor siblings and transgender and gender-diverse people. In alignment with the overall URPP, research in sub-project 3 investigates diverse social, ideological, and ecological perspectives on declining fertility and voluntary childlessness. Additionally, research in sub-project 3 highlights the interplay between conceptions of gender, kinship and family, fertility desires, and reproductive practices across borders through case studies from different parts of the world. 

Empirical research in this sub-project will focus on three interrelated areas:
Emergence of reproductive medicine: Current knowledge, views, and practices of reproduction do not float free from their historical contexts. Through archival work and interviews with stakeholders, the histories of reproductive technologies in Swiss clinics will be traced and linked to broader developments in society. Whereas the early discourse on reproductive medicine was shaped by fears of the historical precedent of eugenics and racial hygiene, recent developments in the field have highlighted the potential for treating and preventing heritable diseases. Does that mean that reproductive medicine has moved from realizing fertility to optimizing it?

The meaning making of human reproduction: Human reproduction is the realm in which nature and culture most intricately interconnect. To understand these  interconnections, the project engages in ethnography of human reproduction,  analyzing the discourses, practices, and perspectives of clinic staff and researchers, patients and prospective parents, and institutions that regulate and provide reproductive care services. 

Based on the insights from the historical and qualitative studies in the first phase of the URPP H2R project, the second phase will trace the historical and global entanglements of the multifaceted Swiss situation.

IDENTITY (by Dr. Daniel Drewniak & Prof. Dr. Tanja Krones)
The study «Meine Identität. Erfahrungen und Perspektiven von Menschen, die mit Hilfe einer Spende oder Leihmutterschaft gezeugt wurden: Eine qualitative Studie (IDENTITY)» (PDF, 158 KB) explores experiences and perspectives of people conceived through donation or surrogacy through a qualitative Study.

Potentialities of CRISPR: An ethnography of reproductive medicine in Switzerland (by Anina Meier & Prof. Dr. Annuska Derks)
The empirical PhD research project “Potentialities of CRISPR: An ethnography of reproductive medicine in Switzerland”  explores gene-editing procedures (CRISPR/Cas9) in reproductive medicine in Switzerland from an ethnographic perspective. A case study is used to follow the different discourses, practices and actors involved at the moment of negotiating a (future) use of genome editing in human reproduction. It also traces the historical development of CRISPR and looks at applications in medicine, research and agriculture. This allows for contouring of the question of what it means to be and become human at the moment of a possible application of gene editing. The main research question is: How are reproductive and gene-editing technologies developed, applied, and discussed daily in IVF and CRISPR laboratories and clinics? A focus lies on the sub question of how experts negotiate and make futures through the technology of CRISPR, and what role expertise plays in the shaping of certain future imaginaries.

Through participant observation and interviews with health care professionals, scientists, including those involved in the URPP H2R, as well as other actors, the PhD project aims to gain insights into the question of how the good life, but also possible risk, is negotiated in reproductive clinics and laboratories in Switzerland through the making and editing of human DNA. What is the role of scientists and their expertise in shaping futures and in inscribing culture in biological processes? On a theoretical level, the project seeks to make a contribution to the Anthropology of Futures, Technologies and the Good Life.

Altruistic Surrogacy.!? (by Lea Heistrüvers & Prof. Dr. Tanja Krones)
The PhD research project “Altruistic Surrogacy.!?”  explores the experience of altruistic/non-commercial surrogate mothers. By conducting qualitative interviews this project focuses on the perspectives of altruistic surrogates. This project will be enriched by a potentially high degree of internationality, transcultural and -social aspects, as well as religious diversity. The expected duration of this research project is from November 2022 till November 2025.

Declining Fertility (by Kristin Hammer & Prof. Dr. Tanja Krones)
The PhD research project 'Declining Fertility' focuses on the factors influencing declining fertility rates at the individual level. Through interviews, the project examines the experiences and personal circumstances of individuals beyond reproductive age who do not have children of their own in a society where families with children are considered as the norm. The aim is to analyze individual life choices, conscious and unconscious decisions for or against parenthood, medical reasons, social realities and moral issues surrounding the desire for children and a fulfilling life.

Navigating Singlehood: Intimacy, Fertility Aspirations, and State Pronatalism in Singapore (by Lynn Kohli & Prof. Dr. Annuska Derks)
Lynn Kohli’s PhD research explores declining fertility rates in Singapore, focusing on romantic relationships and fertility aspirations of millennials and Gen Z. Adopting an ethnographic approach, she investigates how sociopolitical, economic, and religious conditions shape shifting ideas of gender, family, and kinship - and how these factors influence decisions around marriage, singlehood, and childbearing. Lynn Kohli’s work pays particular attention to the gendered dimensions of delayed parenthood, the rise of singlehood, and the growing impact of the online manosphere on young men’s views of intimacy and partnership.

Gestational Surrogacy for 'Humanitarian Purposes' in Vietnam : An Ethnographic Exploration Following Legalization in 2015 (by Anna Salakova & Prof. Dr. Annuska Derks)
Anna Salakova’s PhD research draws on ethnographic fieldwork in Hồ Chí Minh City to explore ‘humanitarian’ gestational surrogacy in Vietnam, legalized in 2015 after a twelve-year ban. The new law restricts the practice to kin. Anna will examine the decision-making processes involved in surrogacy, the experiences of participants, and how the practice redefines kinship ties, shedding light on the moral economies and power dynamics at play in familial acts of care and exchange.