discussion

Discussion Board

How is kinship changing in the modern world?

Discuss how assisted reproductive technologies complicate our understanding of kinship and family.

The use of assisted reproductive technologies in post industrialized countries such as the United States continues to rise. Increased sperm donations to designated sperm banks reflect this rise in assisted reproductive technologies, but at what cost? Read this article before answering the following discussion questions.  (Links to an external site.)

· How does sperm donation affect conceptualizations of kinship and family?

· What do you think are the motivations of a man who fathers dozens of children through sperm donation?

· Should there be regulations or laws in place to limit the number of children a man can father through sperm donation?

· How would limiting fatherhood via sperm donation be justified versus limiting fatherhood in general?

· Should discrimination against red-headed male donors be permitted?

· How does limiting donations from red-headed men differ from racist policies of eugenics that promote breeding aimed at genetically wiping out certain inheritable traits?

· How could the rejection of sperm from red-headed men affect notions of family and kinship in the future?