Who Can Have a Baby? Social Norms and the Right to Reproduce

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Reproductive Health
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Childbearing norms reflect and reinforce social stratification.
• Existing theories lack a systematic framework for discrimination in reproductive norms.

Purpose of the Study:

• Propose and empirically test the theory of socially sanctioned reproduction (TSSR).
• Examine how intersectional attributes shape childbearing norms and discrimination.

Main Methods:

• Paired conjoint survey experiments with a population-based sample of women (ages 18-34) in Pernambuco, Brazil.
• Respondents evaluated hypothetical women's suitability for childbearing based on varying attributes.

Main Results:

• Intersectional attributes, particularly race and socioeconomic status (SES), significantly define childbearing norms.
• Black women faced lower approval in low-SES vs. high-SES positions; White women's approval was SES-independent.
• Discriminatory patterns were linked to evaluator attributes, suggesting othering and group attachment.

Conclusions:

• TSSR provides a framework for understanding stratification and discrimination in childbearing norms.
• Reproductive norm evaluations are shaped by intersectional dynamics and evaluator biases.
• Findings have implications for studying contested areas of reproductive and family life.