Black Woman's Burden Commodifying Black Reproduction

by Rousseau, Nicole

• ISBN13: 9780230113169
• ISBN10: 0230113168
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-03-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Black Woman's Burdenexamines the historical endeavors to regulate Black female sexuality and reproduction in the United States through methods of exploitation, control, repression, and coercion. The myth of the "angry Black woman" has been built over generations through clever rhetoric and oppressive social policy. Here Rousseau explores the continued impact of labeling and stereotyping on the development of policies that lead to the construction of national, racial, and gender identities for Black women.

Author Biography

Nicole Rousseau is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Kent State University.

Table of Contents

Part One: Why Black Reproduction? * Introduction * The Significance of Social Rhetoric * On Historical Materialist Theory & Method * Applying the Historical Materialist Paradigm * Part Two: Slavery Matters! * Becoming Instruments of Production * Is This the White Man’s Burden—Or Ours? * Age Old Pimpin’: Exploitative Reproductive Policies * Part Three: Emancipated…Not Liberated * Labor in the Industrial Age * Becoming a Social Problem * Morons, Mental Defectives, Prostitutes, & Dope Fiends: Restrictive Reproductive Policies * Part Four: A Brand New Day * Global Capitalism in the Electronic Age * Pathologizing the Black Woman * She’s Out of Control: Controlling Reproductive Policies * Vilifying Black Motherhood * Gettin’ Your Tubes Tied: Coercive Reproductive Policies * Part Five: Toward a Theory on the Commodification of Black Women’s Reproduction * Rationalizing Commodification * Social Rhetoric as a Hegemonic Tool * Commodifying Black Reproduction * Part Six: Liberation * Finding Freedom * Notes * Key Concepts and Definitions * Bibliography * Index