Inequality manifests itself in every form available to man; in this vein, questions of reproduction are particularly complex. Procreation is an act of two people, male and female, yet often only men carry weight in science. According to Martin (1991), science illuminates male physiology positively and favorably, expressing support. This is justified by the simplistic, fundamental role of the woman, who only drops the eggs, and the male sperm seeks to take possession of her. The discovery of fertilization interpreted the process so that the woman’s role is irrelevant.
Knowledge of conception and reproduction has been reduced to the simple function of a woman expecting men to help her cope with her socially stereotyped role of being a mother. As we discover, women’s reproductive system is presented differently, but Martin (1991) is concerned that women are now the aggressor with invasive attitudes. Unfortunately, this leads to new stereotypes prescribing even more control over women. Davis (2019) states that this is also a race relations issue because statistics point to high death rates for black women. Davis worries that new age policies will hurt women’s reproductive systems, and problems of social inequality will become even more acute.
Reproductive violence continues, and millions of women face neglect in social policy and medicine. Davis (2019) discusses the practice of sterilization as part of pressure and violence against women and points to the redistribution of capital in favor of whites. U.S. politics continue to erase the experience of women, especially Black women, to increase the gaps between social classes. The lack of ethics and morality in shaping social policy leads to violations of women’s reproductive rights and the resulting lack of support.
References
Davis, D. A. (2019). Trump, race, and reproduction in the afterlife of slavery. Opening and Retrospectives. Web.
Martin, E. (1991). Egg and the sperm: How science has constructed a romance based on stereotypical male-female roles. Signs, 16(3), 485-501. Web.