Description
Book SynopsisPresents a comprehensive analysis of the dichotomous views that have portrayed sterilization either as part of a coercive program of population control or as a means of voluntary, even liberating, fertility control by individual women.
Trade ReviewIn this unique and compelling book, Iris Lopez not only encourages a rethinking of reproductive models but features women's own voices and life experiences. I recommend Matters of Choice to anyone interested in learning more about how the national, class and racist legacies of reproductive policies influence the lives of women today. -- Dr. Alice Col=n Warren * Researcher, Social Science Research Center, University of Puerto Rico *
"In
Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a nuanced analysis of the
multiple forces that lead to high sterilization rates of Puerto Rican
women. Using their voices, Lopez illuminates women's reproductive
agency, pushing us to think more deeply about the meaning of la
operación. -- Patricia Zavella * professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California, Santa *
"A heart-wrenching look at US domination over working-class Puerto Rican women that has been largely unexplored until now." -- Juan Flores * author of The Diaspora Strikes Back *
"Matters of Choice is that rare work of scholarship whose ideas and rich findings are central to the literatures on social movements and gender studies. Lopez explodes the usual binary of victim vs. free agent and helps us to imagine what real reproductive justice might look like" -- Rosalind Petchesky * Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Hunter College *
"Lopez presents an integrated model that moves beyond the binary of choice and constraint to locate the experiences of Puerto Rican women in a continuum....The integrated model provides an opportunity to better understand how personal, cultural, social, and historical factors operate and inform reproductive decisions. Highly recommended." * Choice *
"Unlike previous work on women's reproductive control, Lopez offers a more nuanced and complex understanding as to why [sterilization] has been so popular among Puetro Riquenas. It is written in an engaging, clear, and accessible manner...essential reading for those interested in the social construction of the body, reproduction, and Latina women's experiences." * Feminist Formations (Formerly NWSA Journal) *
"Lopez's work fills a tremendous void in the social science literature about Puerto Rican women's lives and fertility. One of the more impressive aspects of this work is the depth of the ethnographic interviews: each woman's voice rings loud and clear.
Matters of Choice should be standard reading for students of the Puerto Rican and Latina condition, and not just female students but all students." * Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies *
In this unique and compelling book, Iris Lopez not only encourages a rethinking of reproductive models but features women's own voices and life experiences. I recommend Matters of Choice to anyone interested in learning more about how the national, class and racist legacies of reproductive policies influence the lives of women today. -- Dr. Alice Col=n Warren * Researcher, Social Science Research Center, University of Puerto Rico *
"In
Matters of Choice, Iris Lopez presents a nuanced analysis of the
multiple forces that lead to high sterilization rates of Puerto Rican
women. Using their voices, Lopez illuminates women's reproductive
agency, pushing us to think more deeply about the meaning of la
operación. -- Patricia Zavella * professor of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California, Santa *
"A heart-wrenching look at US domination over working-class Puerto Rican women that has been largely unexplored until now." -- Juan Flores * author of The Diaspora Strikes Back *
"Matters of Choice is that rare work of scholarship whose ideas and rich findings are central to the literatures on social movements and gender studies. Lopez explodes the usual binary of victim vs. free agent and helps us to imagine what real reproductive justice might look like" -- Rosalind Petchesky * Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Hunter College *
"Lopez presents an integrated model that moves beyond the binary of choice and constraint to locate the experiences of Puerto Rican women in a continuum....The integrated model provides an opportunity to better understand how personal, cultural, social, and historical factors operate and inform reproductive decisions. Highly recommended." * Choice *
"Unlike previous work on women's reproductive control, Lopez offers a more nuanced and complex understanding as to why [sterilization] has been so popular among Puetro Riquenas. It is written in an engaging, clear, and accessible manner...essential reading for those interested in the social construction of the body, reproduction, and Latina women's experiences." * Feminist Formations (Formerly NWSA Journal) *
"Lopez's work fills a tremendous void in the social science literature about Puerto Rican women's lives and fertility. One of the more impressive aspects of this work is the depth of the ethnographic interviews: each woman's voice rings loud and clear.
Matters of Choice should be standard reading for students of the Puerto Rican and Latina condition, and not just female students but all students." * Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies *
Table of ContentsThe globalization of sterilization
The birth control movement in Puerto Rico
Gender awareness across generations
Cultural continuities and urban change
The Velez family: poverty, the cancer scare, and hysterectomies
The Robles family: social change and gender struggle
The Gomez family: under the knife again-reversing la operación
The Morales and Rivera families: tough love and sterile choices
Reproductive rights and an integral model of reproductive freedom
Ideologies and inequities in the health care system
Toward an integral model of reproductive freedom
