Technologies of Procreation: Kinship in the Age of Assisted Conception

Technologies of Procreationbrings a fresh approach to the analysis of the social and cultural implications of assisted conception technologies. It explores how these techniques create the potential for a redefinition of relationships, because it is now possible to create life on behalf of another person. This second edition presents significant new material that enhances the original argument. By drawing on ethnographic studies, household interviews, and debates in government and among clinicians, the authors offer an insightful examination of the transformations of parenthood, procreation and kinship in the context of new reproductive technologies. Successfully bridging the gap between medical technology and cultural values, this book is a welcome addition to the growing field of medical anthropology.

Jeanette Edwards is in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Keele University Sarah Franklin is in the Department of Sociology at Lancaster University Eric Hirsch is in the Department of Human Sciences at Brunel University Frances Price is in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University Marilyn Strathern is in the Department of Social Anthropology at Cambridge University