About

This lecture aims to reflect on some of the socio-technical controversies raised by the process of biomedicalization of human reproduction, highlighting the epistemological contribution of Sociology of Health and Social Studies of Science and Technology. To this end, it is based on the results of two research projects, already concluded, around the use of medically assisted procreation techniques (MAP) for the implementation of parenthood projects (including homoparenthood and single motherhood). The object of research involved, in one case, the public controversies, tensions and personal constraints associated with the need to resort to gamete donors (oocytes and/or spermatozoa) in the course of MAP procedures and, in another, the multiplicity of statuses and meanings associated with the human embryo created in a laboratory context, both on the part of the beneficiaries and the professionals working in the field, and how they are constructed, circulate and evolve even for the same person.

Several dimensions of the process of conception and implementation of the referred projects will be addressed, from the problematisation of the theme, with the definition of the starting questions/problems and the respective theoretical-conceptual framework, to more operational issues such as the elaboration of the methodological protocol (including ethical and methodological issues of sociological research in health), as well as some of the results and conclusions of the two studies..

Bio note 

Catarina Delaunay holds a PhD in Sociology from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, where she is an integrated researcher and coordinates the Research Group on “Health, Population and Well-Being”, as well as the working group "Health Governance and Regulation", in the scope of NOVAsaúde Health Systems and Policies. From the researcher's activity, it is worth mentioning her research experience on public controversies around medically assisted procreation, of particular interest for the Seminar with which she will collaborate, namely with an open lecture to the academic community, to be held on 12 May, entitled “Controversies around (bio)medical assistance to reproduction: at the crossroads between Sociology of Health and Social Studies of Science and Technology”.


Activity under the doctoral programme 'Governance, Knowledge and Innovation'