What We’re Reading: Biased Science, Foster Families, and Paul Ryan Gosling

A quick look at what caught the attention of BCRW Staff this week…

The Medieval Roots of Todd Akin’s Theories, Jennifer Tucker

Wesleyan University Professor of History and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Jennifer Tucker provides a historical overview of theories which promoted the idea that pregnancy “could stand for a woman’s consent to an alleged rape.” And while Akin’s science may be decidedly behind the times, his claims and their historical predecessors reveal how deeply held social beliefs can interfere with factual understandings of biology. This fall at BCRW, legal scholar Dorothy Roberts will speak on further examples of the link between social bias, science, and inequality in her Helen Pond McIntyre ’48 Lecture “Race, Gender, and the New Biocitizen.”

This article was picked out by Janet, our Director.

Jennifer Lopez to Produce Show on Non-Traditional Families, Jorge Rivas

TV has seen some increase in the diversity of family formats presented in the past few years, and now there may be another show to add to the trend. From Colorlines.com:

ABC Family said Thursday they’ve ordered a comedy-drama pilot, titled “The Fosters,” about two women raising a “21st century,” multi-ethnic mix of foster and biological kids. Jennifer Lopez has been named as the executive producer.

Of course, every family comes with its own story, and increased representation isn’t always a good thing when there’s the potential to amplify hurtful stereotypes – we’ll have to learn more before we know what “The Fosters” will have to say about the complex issues surrounding foster care. In the meantime, the producers of “The Fosters” may want to check out real life foster parents sharing some of their stories online – Fosterhood in NYC, Dinner Party for 5, FosterWee, and Mother Issues are just a few – and Issue 8.2 of The Scholar & Feminist Online, which deals with children of incarcerated parents, who often end up in the foster care system.

This article was picked out by Anne, our Program Manager.

Paul Ryan Gosling Twitter Feed

Building on the Feminist Ryan Gosling meme, this snarky Twitter feed highlights the contrast between cute and cuddly sentiments and chilling disregard for bodily autonomy. Activist responses to Ryan’s social policies are part of a long history of women’s health activism, detailed in part at “Voices of a Women’s Health Movement,” a panel in February of 2012 celebrating the anthology of the same name.

This article was picked out by Hope, our New Media Manager.

Related:

• New Feminist Solutions Volume 6: Toward a Vision of Sexual and Economic Justice
• Video: Reproductive Justice in Action
• Race, Gender, and the New Biocitizen
• A Global History of the Paternity Test
• What We’re Reading: On Girl Doctors, Genealogy, and Genius

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